PRM Welcomes Asian MLCs in its Homebase as IFPI Hosts the 2025 Asia-Pacific Music Licensing Company Meeting in Manila

Manila, Philippines – Last June 17 and 18, the International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) held the Asian Music Licensing Company (MLC) meeting at Sheraton Manila Bay. This event was attended by various MLCs around Asia including Philippine Recorded Music Rights (PRM) represented by the team, namely, Francis Buen, Candice Lima, Josh Credo, Nash Ramos, Aaron Calderon, and Ashley Benitez. MLCs are organizations in charge of handling the right-holders’ IP rights that allows said right-holders to receive royalties for the usage of their works. 

PRM Team: Nash Ramos, Candice Lima, Francis Buen, Aaron Calderon, Ashley Benitez, Josh Credo (L-R)

This annual meeting allows MLCs around Asia to discuss the current situation on their respective territories, the challenges that each MLC faces, and the best practices that allow them to succeed. This sharing of information allows each organization to adapt to the current music landscape. The topics were split into two parts. Day 1 was allotted for Licensing collection, while Day 2 was dedicated to distribution and the rise of AI. 

Charlie Cooksey, IFPI's Head of Global Licensing Analysis sharing his expertise.

Day 1 started with a numbers discussion which gave a bird’s eye view of the performance of each territory for both royalty collection and distribution. This showed that there is an uptick in revenue collected due to public performance. This was further solidified by China Audio-Video Copyright Association (CAVCA) as they shared the success they have found in collecting royalties from Karaoke users. Another reason why Public Performance should be looked into with keen eyes is due to the challenges from collecting from other revenue sources such as from TV & Cable, which was shared by Association of Recording Copyright Owners of Taiwan (ARCO). The first day was ended with a presentation from Barcelona Music and Audio Technologies (BMAT) sharing the benefits of using a music usage tracking system that would streamline the process in next day’s topic which is royalty distribution. 

IFPI’S Chief Legal Officer, Lauri Rechardt, discussing the potential use of AI in music.

It is in the purpose of MLCs to distribute the royalties that they have collected which is why it is important to ignite a discourse on distribution. This is where the established CMOs were able to provide their expertise to the new MLCs to ensure that the royalties will be distributed properly. Before ending the meeting, it is inevitable that the discussion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be tackled due to its current rise. This discussion shared the new policies and jurisprudence implemented in different territories when it comes to the implications of AI when used for Intellectual Property. It can be seen that there are still challenges when it comes to AI as these policies are still inconclusive on how AI will be adopted in the context of copyright.  

Dhanesh Jagwani (IFPI), Simon Seow (IFPI), Francis Buen (PRM), KT Ang (UMG), Atty. Da Acosta-Villaluz (IPOPHL), Roslyn Reyes-Pineda (Sony Music), Atty. Emerson Cuyo (IPOPHL), Candice Lima (PRM), Ashley Benitez (PRM), Aaron Calderon (PRM), Nash Ramos (PRM), Josh Credo (PRM) (L-R)

The IFPI Asian MLC meeting was a success in providing a platform for organizations from each territory to showcase their successes and to share the best practices and solutions to challenges. Discussions were held and voices were heard. The up-and-comers learned from the experiences of the established MLCs, while the new bloods provided a glimpse to the future as they are the ones to experiment with new ideas that may be adopted. This allows all organizations to move towards a unified vision.  

Visit prm.com.ph to be updated about the trends in music protection, public performance and intellectual property discussion.