Have the PRS & PPL simplified music licencing for business? Or perhaps caused further confusion?
TheMusicLicence is the new joint music licence from PPL PRS, the joint venture between PPL and PRS for Music. It allows you to legally play music in public areas for employees or customers in your business through radio, TV, digital devices and live performances.
Read more here…. What is TheMusicLicence? | TheMusicLicence | PPL PRS
Although you still have to consider the continuing confusion by many small business owners. CD’s, Spotify (or any other streaming medium) are not licenced for public performance. Many businesses are unaware of this, or gleefully ignorant. Can you simply play a CD in your place of business with a joint PRS & PPL licence under the previous licencing rules, or indeed under the new joint licencing rules? The resounding answer is, in fact, No.
Can you use play an I-Tunes account, MP3 player, Spotify, Deezer, Youtube or any other music streaming account within your place of business? Again, a resounding No!
How can this be?
I suppose the answer may be simpler than you think. Simply look at the back of your beloved CD collection and the usage described therein. Any public performance is strictly prohibited. Read the terms and conditions of your Spotify, Deezer account. Again, same thing. In fact, look at the words used by the joint PRS/PPL licencing entity itself. ‘Radio, TV, digital devices and live performances’.
Whilst businesses are doing their upmost to comply with relevant copyright laws, they are inadvertently falling foul, by way of mis-understanding that by paying a simple PRS / PPL licence will allow them to play any media, via any medium, and remain compliant.
I do wish that the industry could amalgamate and consolidate on this, allowing small businesses to stream or play music, in conjunction with the new collective PRS/PPL licence, via modern mediums of streaming music providers. In the meantime however, I guess most small businesses will simply ‘bury the head’ and plead ignorance.
PS : Spotify for business launched originally in Sweeden , but has now come to a small business near you!
Source: What is TheMusicLicence? | TheMusicLicence | PPL PRS
