Radio licence for your business

[benjii]

Sooo first of i have started my own business in 2nd year have two employee and thats it in a small factory before i opened went over all the stuff i need e.g legislation licences health and safety and no one told me i need a radio licence to listen to at work spoke to a couple of big named compaines i do work for and they dont even have one but read up and its needed. well stupid me couple of weeks ago get a phone call from a young lad from prs I think saying I got to pay him £270 my first instict was sales call from India and put the phone down  he now sent me invoices total of £270 and if unpaid they would take me to court so wernt a happy boy was my fault at the end of the day but just warning those who run a business and seeing if any one had experiences. So another thing i have to pay for to play a radio in the back ground quite a few on the estate got a phone call and also we listen to old school radio 2 don't I pay for that with my taxes I'm totally confused if anyone could help would be great

[rich83]

Just turn the radio off. 

[andrewparker]

Yeah, PRS, you need to pay them for a licence. It's calculated on the number of employees you have and whether members of the public will hear the music you play. They'll hound you so it's easiest just to pay.

[benjii]

I will just bit confused as thought taxes pay the bbc which pay the royalties  its hard enough making a living and we would go crazy in silence 

[rich83]

I will just bit confused as thought taxes pay the bbc which pay the royalties  its hard enough making a living and we would go crazy in silence 

That has nothing to do with the actual broadcasted content....

[Nodz]

I remember being told if more than 7 people in the building then you need one, unless it's a shop then you need one regardless not that many bother. Even if you play a cd/mp3 etc you still need it as you are broadcasting to people by playing the music

[benjii]

O right I read up and if you use a personal headset like phone with head phones its not needed. Only really heard of this thing in pubs etc

[benjii]

I remember being told if more than 7 people in the building then you need one, unless it's a shop then you need one regardless not that many bother. Even if you play a cd/mp3 etc you still need it as you are broadcasting to people by playing the music

It's just a unit only person who comes in is a personal courier and 3 people in total the unit next to me told the bloke to p**s off  and said he won't get one

[rich83]

taken off the PRS website.

5. Workplaces
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.


BOLD is the important bit.

[benjii]

taken off the PRS website.

5. Workplaces
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.


BOLD is the important bit.

Thanks mate gonna bite the bullet and get one but just go over it with my business solicitor   

[rich83]

Yup... thanks for not ignoring it, composers rely on that money. 

[benjii]

Yup... thanks for not ignoring it, composers rely on that money. 

No worrys just didn't understand it very well and just getting some info

[RedRobin]

.
As a recording musician I understand the value of having music registered with PRS. However, I think they are a pain in the arse, they take it too far, and I don't agree with people having to pay to listen to music broadcast on the radio. I don't see why we should have to pay to watch TV either (BBC licence).

Small businesses need to pay PRS fees like a hole in the head! They need to keep a workforce happy and productive. The feckin taxman takes enough for doing nothing without such extras.

[benjii]

.
As a recording musician I understand the value of having music registered with PRS. However, I think they are a pain in the arse, they take it too far, and I don't agree with people having to pay to listen to music broadcast on the radio. I don't see why we should have to pay to watch TV either (BBC licence).

Small businesses need to pay PRS fees like a hole in the head! They need to keep a workforce happy and productive. The feckin taxman takes enough for doing nothing without such extras.

*Small businesses need to pay PRS fees like a hole in the head! They need to keep a workforce happy and productive. The feckin taxman takes enough for doing nothing without such extras*

This is how I feel 

[rich83]

.
As a recording musician I understand the value of having music registered with PRS. However, I think they are a pain in the arse, they take it too far, and I don't agree with people having to pay to listen to music broadcast on the radio. I don't see why we should have to pay to watch TV either (BBC licence).

Small businesses need to pay PRS fees like a hole in the head! They need to keep a workforce happy and productive. The feckin taxman takes enough for doing nothing without such extras.

And without PRS payments, the composers will shut up shop too, so you will be listening to silence.

Just to clarify... this is NOT a tax.