The Australasian Performing Right Assn. (APRA) has reported net distributions to members in the 2003-04 period increased year-on-year by 6.5% to A$97.88m ($74.38 million). It marks the collecting society’s 12th consecutive year of revenue growth.
APRA CEO Brett Cottle says the results continue a trend established over recent years, which is typified by “a solid increase in revenue accompanied by tight control over costs.”
APRA’s results cover its operations in Australia and New Zealand. Gross licence fees collected from radio and TV stations grew to A$112.6m ($85.5m), up 5.8% from the previous period. APRA says this was due largely to a 12.6% rise in licence fees paid by commercial radio stations, a 15% rise paid by venues and promoters and a near-11% rise from New Zealand’s commercial free-to-air and pay TV services. The collecting society’s expense-to-revenue ratio was 13%.
Established in 1926, APRA’s primary business is licensing its members’ performing rights. It represents more than 37,000 Australasian writers and publishers through direct membership and claims nearly 1.66 million writers and publishers throughout the world under reciprocal contracts.
APRA also manages the reproduction rights business of its sister mechanicals collecting society AMCOS. AMCOS’ revenue for the financial year grew by 23% to A$33 million ($25.08 million). Its net distributable revenue for the period was $28.8m ($21.2m); the collecting body reports an expense-to-revenue ratio of 14%.
