PRS for Music makes a payment run every month in 2026. The four main distributions land on 15 April, 15 July, 15 October and 16 December, with payment amounts confirmed in your PRS account about a week before each date. The full month-by-month calendar is below.
When does PRS pay in 2026?
PRS for Music makes a payment run in every month of 2026. The four main distributions - the large quarterly payments most songwriters wait for - are paid on 15 April, 15 July, 15 October and 16 December 2026, with a second December run paid on 22 December. Payment amounts are confirmed in your PRS member account roughly a week before each payment date, and PRS emails you when a payment is due. The full calendar published by PRS for Music is below; PRS notes that dates may change.
The full 2026 PRS payment calendar
These are the payment dates published on the PRS for Music royalty payment dates page at prsformusic.com. For each month, PRS first confirms the payment amount in your account, then pays a few days later:
- January 2026: amounts confirmed 9 January, paid 15 January
- February 2026: amounts confirmed 9 February, paid 13 February
- March 2026: amounts confirmed 9 March, paid 13 March
- April 2026 (main distribution): amounts confirmed 9 April, paid 15 April
- May 2026: amounts confirmed 8 May, paid 15 May
- June 2026: amounts confirmed 9 June, paid 15 June
- July 2026 (main distribution): amounts confirmed 9 July, paid 15 July
- August 2026: amounts confirmed 10 August, paid 14 August
- September 2026: amounts confirmed 9 September, paid 15 September
- October 2026 (main distribution): amounts confirmed 9 October, paid 15 October
- November 2026: amounts confirmed 9 November, paid 13 November
- December 2026 (main distribution): two runs - amounts confirmed 9 December and paid 15 December, then amounts confirmed 16 December and paid 22 December
Main distributions vs monthly payments
The April, July, October and December payments are PRS's four main distributions. These carry most broadcast, live performance, public performance and international royalties, and are usually the largest payments of the year for songwriters and publishers. The other monthly runs cover royalties that PRS processes on a faster cycle - online streaming income through Multi-Territory Online Licensing (MTOL), the major live concert service (MLCS), and mechanical royalties paid through MCPS. If your income is mostly from streaming, you may see smaller amounts arriving most months rather than four big payments.
Why the money covers usage from months ago
The payment you receive in July 2026 does not cover what was streamed or broadcast in June 2026. PRS must wait for broadcasters and platforms to submit usage reports, process millions of cue sheet entries, and match each usage to a registered work. PRS's own example - a track played on TV in January may not be reported until April, so the payment usually arrives in July. UK broadcast and streaming income typically lands six to 18 months after the usage, and international income from overseas societies can take 18 to 24 months. This is normal and applies to all PRS members.
What affects your exact payment date
- Registration timing: works must be registered before usage occurs. Tracks registered after they have already been streamed or broadcast may not be included in the current distribution.
- Broadcaster reporting lag: some broadcasters submit usage reports later than others. Background music venues and smaller broadcasters are often slower than major networks.
- Co-writer split disputes: if a split between collaborators is not formally agreed and submitted to PRS, the royalty is held in suspense until resolution.
- International income: royalties from overseas territories arrive on a separate schedule, typically showing up 6 to 12 months after the domestic equivalent.
How to check your statement
Log into your PRS member account and navigate to the royalties section. You can see your full payment history, a breakdown of royalties by usage type (streaming, broadcast, live, international), and the registered works that generated income. Before each distribution you can also see which payments are ready and which are on hold. If you expected income from a specific broadcast or sync use and cannot find it, check that the work is registered and that the ISRC links correctly to the PRS work record.
What to do if your payment has not arrived
If a payment date has passed and you have received no payment or email, first check your PRS member portal to confirm your bank details are current. If details are correct and no payment is showing, contact PRS member services with the specific usage you expected - broadcast logs, release dates, setlists - and request a manual check. PRS holds unmatched royalties for a defined period before redistribution, so acting promptly is important for older usage periods.
If your PRS income is consistently lower than you expect, the most common cause is a registration gap rather than a PRS error. A Code Group Music catalog assessment identifies exactly which works and royalty streams are underperforming and why. Start at codegroupmusic.co.uk/#catalog-assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PRS pay monthly?
Yes. In 2026 PRS makes a payment run every month. The monthly runs cover online streaming royalties (MTOL), the major live concert service (MLCS) and MCPS mechanical royalties. The four main distributions in April, July, October and December remain the largest payments for most songwriters and publishers.
What are the main PRS distribution dates in 2026?
The four main distributions are paid on 15 April, 15 July, 15 October and 16 December 2026, with a second December run paid on 22 December. Payment amounts are confirmed in your PRS account about a week before each payment date. PRS notes that dates may change.
How do I know my PRS payment is coming?
PRS confirms the payment amount in your member account about a week before each payment date and sends an email notification to your registered address. Log into your member portal at prsformusic.com to see the exact amount and the breakdown by royalty type ahead of the payment date.
Why is my PRS payment smaller than I expected?
The most common reasons are the usage lag (a payment covers activity from six to 18 months ago, not recent streams), works that were not registered before usage occurred, international income still in transit from overseas societies, or a co-writer split that has not been formally agreed and is holding up a portion of the payment.
Published · Updated