Music lisence phonecall

[Ludwig]

I had a phonecall the other day from someone from the ppl which is organisation which collects royalties for the music industry and they asked If I listened to music at work. Apparantly if you have music in a shop, restaurant, workplace or dance class etc you need to get a license to play recorded music even if its just a radio and the cost of the license depends on the size of an area. Anyway I told them I don't listen to any music at work and told them to remove me from the data base. So if any of you get a phonecall from this organisation it is best say nothing untill you,ve had time to have a think or you could find yourself getting an invoice from them. I cannot see how they can enforce this license as there is lots of grey areas and it opens up a can of worms. Anyway I just thought I warn you as they are quite persistant and such is the dire state of the music business they are agressively chasing royalties to stem the collapse in traditional recorded music sales such as cds.

 

[ianrauk]

Shops & premises that have been licensed by PPL will have a sticker in the window of the premises saying so,

 

[Pauluk]

Yep, We've had them on to us as well. Bloody leeches.

 

[Linford]

Had a similar conversation with a pub landlord when I filmed an Opera singer. He pays about £3k pa to them.

 

[PoliceMadAd]

Does this count for work vehicles (i.e i drive a delivery van so have access to radio and CD's(?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

When I used to run a shop (a few years ago, things might have changed now) if you or staff listen to music it's ok to do so without licence. If you play for customers to listen you have to pay the fee.

 

[Norm]

Generally not for vehicles, as PPL (and the PRS) generally cover public performances which means for the benefit of more than one person. In their words:

A PPL licence is required when recorded music, including radio and TV, is played in public. There is no statutory definition of 'playing in public' (also sometimes referred to as 'public performance') but the UK courts have given guidance on its meaning and ruled that it is any playing of music outside of a domestic setting – so, for example, playing recorded music at a workplace, public event or in the course of any business activities is considered to be 'playing in public'. In contrast, any recorded music being played as part of domestic home life or when there is an audience entirely comprised of friends and/or family (such as at a private family party) does not require a PPL licence.

It can get iffy, too. If I sit at my desk and listen to music through headphones, that doesn't need to be licensed. If I listen through speakers in my own office and no-one else can hear, that doesn't need to be licensed. If I listen through speakers and it's loud enough that colleagues, visitors or customers can hear it, though, that makes it a public performance and licenses are required.

I think that the law on this changed earlier this year, so things might have changed compared to some of the anecdata.

 

[marinyork]

It used to give me quite a lot of amusement some of the stories an organisation in town a friend was involved in used to say when they'd ring them up. They got really, really aggressive the first few times they rang up and the organisation got fed up of their inappropriate manners. Both sides knew perfectly well they didn't need one and so they would tell the PPL elaborate stories about things that didn't need a licence and lead them up the garden path tantalisingly before making it clear what they meant and sometimes in a fit of rage the people at the other end would slam the phone down after being had. After a few lengthy waste of time phone calls like this they eventually stopped ringing.

 

[Maz]

What about ice cream vans that play renditions of Greensleeves or Match of the Day? Do they need a music licence and a driving licence?

 

[classic33]

Odd in a way, because very little if any of the money they,PPL, actually take goes to the persons who's music you may be listening to. Its spent on running the company.
Also if listening to a radio station, they will already have paid what they have too, in order to broadcast it.

 

[growingvegetables]

Hmm - such a grey area? And worth somebody's time to set up a cold-call operation?

I smell a rat (aye, a rat genetically engineered to include the smell hormones of kippers, well past their sell-by date).

 

[vernon]

Hmm - such a grey area? And worth somebody's time to set up a cold-call operation?

I smell a rat (aye, a rat genetically engineered to include the smell hormones of kippers, well past their sell-by date).

It is worthwhile setting up 'fishing expeditions' as there's a lot of money involved.

In the parallel world of live music/musicals the music scores are rented out often with strict performance criteria regarding audience size and proximity of 'commercial sized' performances if it's a school production. Imaging having to hire the sheet music for a large choir's performance of something like Handel's Messiah.

Spot checks are not unknown and the confiscation of photocopied material and an instant withdrawal of the rented music do take place with messy consequences. I used to think that Boosey and Hawkes was a musical instrument company until I read about its activities during abortive sale/takeover activities in the financial pages my jaw dropped when I discovered how much of a grip it had on 20th century music by 'big name' composers such as Bernstein, Britten and Stravinsky as well as contemporary stuff.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Last time PPL tried to get heavy with me it took a while to convince them that I didn't need a licence, because my record shop had shut down... Partly due to skyrocketing costs...

 

[Theseus]

My kids (and by extension both my wife & I) have joined a local drama group and we are in the final stages of selecting a panto. The restrictions leave little room to mess about with the script to suit your own capabilities or local jokes.

 

[siadwell]

...if you have music in a shop, restaurant, workplace or dance class etc you need to get a license to play recorded music even if its just a radio and the cost of the license depends on the size of an area...

Wonder whether my neighbours' builders had a licence to "share" Radio 1 with me and the rest of the street?