John Lennon Estate Appoints PPL to Collect Neighboring Rights Royalties

PPL has been appointed to collect neighboring rights for John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Announced Tuesday (Oct. 15), the deal will see the U.K.-based collective management organization (CMO) collect broadcast and public performance royalties globally on sound recordings where Lennon or Ono are listed as performers in markets where such rights exist.

“PPL has shown they are the leaders in advocating for neighboring rights globally,” said the Lennon estate in a statement. “We have the utmost respect for the team and look forward to working with them.” 

Lennon released 11 solo albums as a performer, including 1970’s John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band alongside Ono. 

As a performer, songwriter or co-writer, Lennon landed 25 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 both as a member of The Beatles and as a solo artist. He also landed three No. 1 albums as a solo artist on the Billboard 200.

In 2023, The Beatles released their “final” song, “Now and Then,” which was completed with the aid of machine-learning-assisted audio restoration. The song landed at No. 7 on the Hot 100 and at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Charts.

During her career, Ono has secured 13 No. 1 singles on Billboard‘s Dance Club Songs chart and released 14 solo albums.

PPL, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2024, has 111 agreements in place with other CMOs for royalty collection, according to a press release.

Peter Leathem, CEO of PPL, said in a statement: “It is an honor to be appointed by the John Lennon Estate for neighboring rights collections. Our team works hard to ensure no stone is left unturned in the collection of neighboring rights royalties around the world. It is a privilege to advocate for and collect public performance and broadcast rights globally for such a revered catalog of recorded music.”