Music Licensing in Offices

if you want to play music in a public place, waiting area or similar, or to a group of more than a handful of people (cant remember the actual numbe roff the top of my head) then you will need a PPL and PRS license (both seperate companies). Most shops that have music playing will usually have a poster/certificate/window sticker showing they can legally play music there.

We purchased a license for each so we were able to play music in our waiting area at work. Apparently there can be quite hefty fines if you're ever caught playing music without a license
 
DailyGeek said:
I think it's totally stupid to be honest, the PRS thing ruins office atmosphere if the company isn't prepared to pay for it.
Click to expand...

I don't see why a company should pay a license for it

They called us a while back, asked me all the questions and just answered no to all of them (even though the radio was on in the background) and that was pretty much it :p
 
Ironic Namesake said:
I don't see why a company should pay a license for it

They called us a while back, asked me all the questions and just answered no to all of them (even though the radio was on in the background) and that was pretty much it :p
Click to expand...

Same! We play it in the back shop and you can just hear it out on the shop floor....so it would be pointless.
 
Jonny ///M said:
Same! We play it in the back shop and you can just hear it out on the shop floor....so it would be pointless.
Click to expand...

We have a small office of 4 people, we get a customer visiting from abroad maybe twice a year :p

All the other fees are too much already - £8k council tax being one of them :mad:

Not sure what for, we don't get rubbish collections for free as it's a gated so classed as a private road and last time we got broken in the police refused to take fingerprints as going on a ladder to reach where the ***** broke in was "against Health and Safety regulations"

Anyway not related , just felt to rant :p
 
You have to have a prs licence if you have a radio in a factory or office, the price changes depending on how many people can hear it.

I don't believe they are needed if the staff are wearing headphones but for us there are safety issues so we have a licence.

PRS fish around until somebody admits there is music, then they have you. They are also happy to backdate the invoice to whatever point you admit having started playing the radio, which is nice.

http://www.prsformusic.com/users/bu...ficesandfactories/Pages/officesfactories.aspx

Workers/colleagues and/or customers/clients have been recognised by the courts as falling within the composer's ‘public’. Any person wishing either to play or to authorise the playing of our music to such individuals in the workplace - wherever that workplace is situated - should therefore obtain a Music Licence.

PRS for Music requires any workplace using music to obtain a Music licence. However, PRS for Music, at its discretion, will not make a charge for its licence in certain circumstances:

  • Home offices within a private residence - for an individual working on their own in the home office or for people who are permanently resident at that address. However, if you have colleagues working with you (who do not live at the premises) or customers/clients coming into your home (and music is played at these times), PRS for Music would apply the relevant tariff.
  • Lone workers - workplaces with only one worker, where music is not made available to any visitors/customers coming onto the premises.
  • Personal Portable Devices - Where music is only used in the workplace by individual employees or workers solely by means of Personal Portable Devices (such as MP3 players) with headphones. Any music must only be audible to the employee or worker to whom the Personal Portable Device belongs through a headset attached to that device and not to any other individual in the workplace.
If music is made available to employees or visitors to the premises by any other means, PRS for Music would apply the relevant tariff.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Sorry to hijack the thread, as regards to playing music in a shop, is a licence required, or does it depend on the music, also would this be the same for playing videos or game trailers/demos?
 
There's a similar fishing company for newspaper articles, they've been bugging our head office lately
 
GAC said:
but a private office as far as i know doesnt require one as it can be argued its personal use if its just a radio in the corner someones brought in, IF the company hooked up a internal speaker system maybe then they would have to pay as they are providing it to you.
Click to expand...

You are incorrect, if music is played at work you need a PRS licence.
 
5UB said:
Sorry to hijack the thread, as regards to playing music in a shop, is a licence required, or does it depend on the music, also would this be the same for playing videos or game trailers/demos?
Click to expand...

I only really know about factories/offices, but I am sure shops need them to play music, ether radio or cd's..
I don't think video games or trailers/demos fall into the PRS's responsablities. Have a fish round the web site, don't phone them up and ask them though!

Only tip i'll add is that if you do decide to get a licence then be careful about telling them how long you've already been playing music ;)
 
Theophany said:
So I can't listen to the radio in my car if I have passengers in it? :confused:
Click to expand...
Its not like that, its about using music in business, home and your car are not affected. If your a taxi or a limo though then its different.

Motor vehicles
PRS for Music make a charge for our licence where music is played in vehicles in which, or from which, a service is provided. This includes, but is not limited to, taxis, minicabs and chauffeur-driven cars, buses, coaches, minibuses, election vehicles, ice cream vans and food vans, advertising vans and similar vehicles.
Click to expand...
 
peige said:
Its not like that, its about using music in business, home and your car are not affected. If your a taxi or a limo though then its different.
Click to expand...

TBH it wouldn't surprise me. According to my insurance small print, I'm not allowed to accept money from passengers for petrol because I'm not insured as a taxi.

These kinds of laws are just daft.
 
Personal Portable Devices - Where music is only used in the workplace by individual employees or workers solely by means of Personal Portable Devices (such as MP3 players) with headphones. Any music must only be audible to the employee or worker to whom the Personal Portable Device belongs through a headset attached to that device and not to any other individual in the workplace.
Click to expand...

Technically I reckon loads of compaies must be in breach of this, I've never been in an office (that permits the use of such devices and has more then say 20 staff in the room) where at least one person doesn't have their headphone volume turned up to a level that is audible by others.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom