I’m not sure if I’m already a member… 

If you are receiving, or have ever received payments for your works from Directors UK (or DPRS as we were known before 2008), or if you receive any other communications from us such as newsletters or other notices, then you are a member. 

If you’re unsure about this, or if you want to check that the member details we have for you are up to date, you can contact us at [email protected].

Am I eligible to join? 

In order to become a member you must have professional director credits on publicly screened or commercially exploited audiovisual works. We will contact you to verify your director credits as part of the application process. 

My name is on your Unregistered Directors List. What do I need to do? 

Our Unregistered Directors List is where we publish the names of directors who are not currently members of Directors UK, but who may be due payments under our Distribution Scheme (we can confirm this with you before you register, we just need to check some details with you first). 

We can only issue payments to registered members – see questions below. 

How do I join? 

Visit the Join Us page on our website to submit your contact details and start an application. We will get back to you by email to confirm your credits and membership options. 

If you have any questions that aren’t answered here, you can contact us directly at [email protected] or 0207 240 0009. 

What membership type am I eligible for? 

Your membership type will depend on your director credits. If you are unsure which membership type applies to you based on the descriptions below, please get in touch at [email protected]. 

Full Membership: For those with a principal director credit on a broadcast UK television programme or commercially distributed and screened feature film. Full Membership means you are permanently registered on our distribution schemes for any potential payments, and that you pay an annual subscription to become a contributing member with access to all our member benefits and services. 

Associate Membership: For those with professional audiovisual director credits that are not currently covered by our distribution schemes. For example: shorts and features screened at festivals, advertising promos or branded content, music videos, video games or VR projects (see the full Associate Membership eligibility criteria). Associate Membership means that you pay an annual subscription to become a contributing member with access to a range of member benefits and services.

Find out more about Associate Membership eligibility here.

Distribution-Only Membership: For those with a principal director credit on a broadcast UK television programme, or commercially distributed and screened feature film. Distribution-Only Members pay a one-off registration fee to become permanently registered for payments through our distribution schemes. They pay no annual subscription but don’t have access to any of our other member benefits or services. 

Join now. 

How much does it cost? (All prices inclusive of VAT) 

Full membership: Annual subscription of £168 (or £84 for members aged 65 and over) 

Associate membership: Annual subscription of £84 

Distribution-Only membership: One-off flat registration fee of £84 

Full and Associate subscriptions are renewed annually in either March or September, depending on what time of year you join. Your first year’s subscription will be calculated pro rata to reflect the actual number of months until your first renewal. 

Join now. 

What payment methods do you accept? 

Full and Associate subscriptions are paid by Direct Debit from a UK bank account. We can accept payment by bank transfer for members who are not resident in the UK (please contact us at [email protected] for more information). We do not accept card payments. 

If you are joining as a Distribution-Only Member, you can pay your one-off registration fee upfront via Direct Debit, or if we are already holding payments for you we may be able to deduct your fee from your first payment (we will advise as to whether this is possible when you join). 

Can I pay monthly? 

No. All Full and Associate subscriptions are paid in one sum each year, and registration fees for Distribution-Only members in one sum when you join. 

I submitted my details to join online, but when I log in I can’t register any works or access the rest of the website. 

Thank you for submitting your details. We will be in touch by email to confirm your credits and membership options (it may be worth checking your spam or junk folders just in case we’ve already emailed you). Access to the website will remain pending until we have been able to complete your registration with us. 

When would I receive payments collected for my works? (Full and Distribution-Only Members)

For new members, if we are already holding payments for you when you join, we hold small additional distributions where possible, roughly every two months, so you are not waiting too long for your outstanding payments. 

Any new payments collected are issued to members in our regular distributions held four times per year. View the Distributions Timetable. 

Do I have to be a member in order to receive payments for my works? 

Yes. The payments we collect are based on agreements we have negotiated with UK broadcasters and foreign societies, and these agreements are made on behalf of our members only. 

I’m a Full Member – do I have to continue paying an annual subscription to keep receiving payments for my works? 

No. Once you’re a member and registered as a rightsholder on the distribution scheme you will continue to receive any payments collected for your works in future – regardless of whether or not you choose to continue paying the annual Full Membership subscription. 

If you choose to cancel your Full Membership, you will be downgraded to Distribution-Only Membership, with no annual subscription and no access to any other member benefits and services. 

I’m a Distribution-Only Member – can I upgrade to Full Membership?

Yes. You can change to Full Membership at any time for the annual price of £168 (or £84 for members aged 65 and over). Just log in to your profile on our website and follow the banner prompts to begin the upgrade process, or else contact us at [email protected] if you have further questions.

How can I cancel my membership? 

Please contact us at [email protected] or 0207 240 0009.

How do I renew my annual subscription?

If you have a Direct Debit set up with us, your subscription will be renewed automatically and you do not need to take any action. Your annual renewal date will be either 1 March or 1 September. You will receive a notification by email from our Direct Debit processor three working days before the payment is taken. If you have questions about your direct debit renewal please contact [email protected]. 

For members resident outside the UK who are paying us by bank transfer, we will contact you directly in advance of your renewal date, and provide details of how to set up payment.

How do I update my member details?

To update your member contact details, including postal address, email address or phone number, please log in to your profile on our website and submit these changes under Manage Profile (if you have any difficulties logging in, please contact us at [email protected]). Otherwise you can write to us at our office address. 

If you need to change the details of the account in which you receive distribution payments, or inform us of a change to your tax/VAT status, please contact us at [email protected], or else write to us at our office address. 

To update any other membership details (for example, if you need to make changes to your Direct Debit or membership fees, or if you’re changing your name) please contact us at [email protected]. 

I’m already registered with another society, can I still join Directors UK? 

If you are registered with a collecting society that represents directors in another country, please let us know at [email protected] and we can advise depending on your individual circumstances. 

I’m a beneficiary of a director’s estate, how do I register with Directors UK? 

In order to register a director’s estate, we require copies of the Grant of Probate (or equivalent) and will as proof of your entitlement to any payments collected for their works. We will then ask a relevant beneficiary to register as a Successor Member. 

Please see our advice on wills, estates and Directors UK payments here.

What kind of payments do you distribute? Will I receive payment for my works? 

To see what types of works are eligible and how we collect payments, please see the Distribution section of our website where you will find full information about our UK and foreign distribution schemes. 

I signed into my Directors UK website profile and my status says: "No Membership", even though I am a member. What should I do?

The Directors UK website and our membership database undergoes scheduled nightly maintenance between the hours of 00:50 and 04:00(GMT), Tuesday to Saturday. If members sign into their website profile during this time, they may find that their profile is displaying the "No Membership" status and that some online services such as event bookings and member "Manage Credits" webpages are unavailable. In these instances, please try; signing out of your Directors UK website profile, refreshing your web browser, and trying again after our scheduled maintenance is finished at 04:00(GMT). If the issue persists, please contact: [email protected] for our team to investigate.