payperplay

Pay-per-play (PPP) is a pricing or compensation model in which payment is triggered by each instance of media playback. The exact meaning varies by industry, but the core idea is a defined financial unit tied to a single play of a media asset, such as an advertisement, video, or audio track.

In online advertising and video networks, PPP commonly refers to charges each time a video advertisement is played to a user. A "play" may be counted when the ad starts or when it is viewed to a certain threshold. Campaigns often apply viewability and fraud-prevention criteria, and rates depend on factors such as geography, audience segments, platform, and inventory quality.

In the music and broadcasting sectors, PPP-like arrangements describe payments to rights holders based on the number of plays of a track or program. Royalty rates vary by license type (public performance, digital streaming), territory, and contract terms, and may be administered through collecting societies or licensing platforms. Some services pay per-stream, while others use blended or tiered models depending on subscriber status or ad-supported usage.

PPP is related to other pricing models such as pay-per-click and pay-per-impression but represents a different form of monetization that hinges on playback events. Because the definition of a "play" is contractually specified, PPP arrangements require clear counting rules and terms. The term is not universally standardized and can have different meanings in different contexts.