Business advice question:
Do I have to pay to play music in my shop?
Responses:
Good Lawyer Guide's response
There is an organisation called PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) that collects licence fees from businesses that play background music in public spaces.
PPL collects fees for music played in pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, shops, stores, offices and factories. So, the answer is that you will almost certainly have to pay a licence fee. You can get more details from the PPL website.
PPL have become must stricter about chasing up businesses and extracting money from them. However, the only good news is that the price increases they introduced a couple of years ago have now been held invalid. So, some businesses will end up paying less than they previously did.
Jon Payne's response
You can find the PPL website at www.ppluk.com
There is also an organisation called PRS that you need to be aware of - in simple terms, one acts for the performers of the music and the other for the composer/publisher. It is best to visit www.prsformusic.com for more information.
If you are playing live music (and some shops do, even if on a one-off basis for some publicity), then you might also need to apply for a Premises Licence from your local Council, or give a Temporary Events Notice. You can find more information on this at http://www.licensinglawyers.co.uk or your local Council website.
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