Many employers are unaware that playing any kind of music in the workplace constitutes a public performance, and so to do so requires a music licence from the Performance Rights Society (PRS) to stay within the law.
Employers require a licence to play music from radios, CDs, TVs, over a telephone system and even for live music performances.
Failure to obtain such a licence can result in a hefty bill, as many businesses have found out to their cost:
- St. Joseph’s Workshops in Wigan, a maker of communion wafers, were cold-called by the PRS, who subsequently sent them a bill for £97.62 after discovering that the company allowed workers to listen to a radio in their workshop.
- Anthony Rana, owner of a patisserie in Sheffield, was told he had to obtain a music licence despite the fact that he only played talk radio stations in his workplace.
- Shep Plastics in Sussex were threatened with court action if employees played music that colleagues may overhear without a licence.
- Dam House, a charitable organisation based in Wigan, were told they would have to purchase a £230 licence if they continued to play music in their kitchen. After admitting that the venue was used for carol singing during the festive period, the price of the licence was raised to £470, as many Christmas carols are still in copyright.
One of the few instances in which a licence is not needed is if employees listen to MP3 players or other personal music devices through headphones, ensuring that no-one else can hear it.
The cost of a music licence varies depending on the type of workplace or organisation and the number of people listening. More information can be found on the PRS website.
9 responses so far ↓
1 Carol Singer // May 18, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Astonishing, I wonder if Silent Night is under copyright.
2 Alex // Aug 27, 2009 at 12:57 pm
This is the most absolute stupid thing I have ever heard. Why don’t they stop making up things to rip us off and get rich?? If I owned a business and I wanted to play music, I play and that’s it. No politician or lawmaker should have the power to create such a stupid law.
One thing is playing your music loud without the rest of your job mates wanting, and another thing is everyone wanting to play some music. What about if I put the music of my car on, open the window and let the sound in? I wouldn’t be playing the music inside my work place…
Also do you have to pay to play music on a Recording Studio? For f’s sake!!
3 Heavy Metal // Nov 24, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I think you will find that as BBC radio is free to air under its charter for all, any additional fee does not apply. PRS will not admit this as then they would not be ablt to collect so much.
4 Mike // Dec 4, 2009 at 5:00 pm
So if all the persons shared the cost of the radio. It was turned on so that music played. There would be no work colleagues overhearing as it would also belong to them! Would that then an infringment
5 Shirley // Dec 17, 2009 at 11:02 am
they will be charging us to breathe next,are our businesses not suffering enough with the recession
6 Shirley // Dec 17, 2009 at 11:04 am
its time this goverment stood up to protect british businesses and workers
7 Simon // Jan 14, 2010 at 3:53 pm
It is a little bit silly that you have to pay to overhear music but it cost money to make those recordings and the music industry is losing profits rapidly with the internets and everything, something has to be done about it.
Just because music is such a personal thing doesn’t mean it should be free.
A lot of stress and effort goes into creating one song and people expect it as a gift.
£230/470 is nothing really if you weigh it up against the amount of happiness listening to music could bring to people plus there’s no limit to the amount of songs you could listen to/have people preform in the case of the carol singers, it’s a bargain really.
8 Daniel Bryan // Feb 5, 2010 at 12:00 am
Hi. I have created a facebook group against the charge put in place by the PLL. Please join it if you can. Maybe it will make a difference if we get enough members.
http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=285927889633
Thanks
Daniel
9 sam // Mar 2, 2010 at 2:39 pm
help? do i need a license if its free to air radio? does anyone know? many thanks sam
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