Music in hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses could enhance the atmosphere and help to create an environment people enjoy.

Whether you’re playing music in main reception areas, dining rooms, kitchens for your staff, or music and televisions in hotel guest bedrooms you’ll usually need TheMusicLicence for your hotel, B&B or guest house.

By obtaining TheMusicLicence you’ll be able to play PRS for Music and PPL music legally in your business and enjoy its benefits whilst ensuring that its creators are fairly rewarded for their work.


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Every time we haven’t had music in our dining area, it totally wipes the atmosphere. Music gives everyone a boost. It makes the whole place feel more alive. Escape Boutique Hotel, Llandudno
Hotel Music Licence

The power of background music

Whether you’re playing music in hotel reception and waiting areas, bars and restaurants or even in the kitchens for your staff, background music in your hotel or guest house has the potential enhance the experience you provide to your customers and staff.

Turn a hotel into a hootenanny and find out more about the power of background music for hotels and guest houses…

How is my music licence cost calculated?

A hotel/B&B/ Guesthouse that is 400sqm or less and has 15 rooms or fewer could use background music in hotel bedrooms, corridors and foyers via the TV or Radio for just 56p a day.

The cost of TheMusicLicence varies depending on the specific characteristics of each business, so please contact us for a quote. Before doing so, please ensure you’ve read our Music Licence Quote Checklist for each section that is applicable to you, and have the relevant information ready so we can provide an accurate quote for your B&B, guesthouse or hotel music licence.

Quote Checklist

Music in guest bedrooms

  • Number of bedrooms supplied or provided with recorded music

Background music - all premises

  • The areas where music is audible, such as receptions, bars etc.

Premises with 16 bedrooms or more: Background music

  • The square meterage of each area where music is audible
  • Number of seats in bar and restaurant areas where music is playing
  • Types of devices used to play music, such as radio, CDs, TV etc.

Live events

  • Number and capacity of live events held per year

Specially featured entertainment, e.g. DJs and dances

  • Number, capacity, duration and attendance of specially featured entertainment events held per year

Telephone music on hold

  • Details of any telephone on hold music

Understanding your music licence royalties

To help you understand how much TheMusicLicence could cost for your hotel, B&B or guesthouse, you can view the individual PPL and PRS for Music tariffs that may be applicable to you.

If you are still unsure about music licensing for your business, go to the Visit Britain website for more information.

PPL Tariffs
  • Supply of recorded music to hotel bedrooms
    View PDF
  • Small residential hotels and guesthouses
    View PDF
  • Background music in hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes
    View PDF
  • Background music in offices
    View PDF
  • Telephone music on hold
    View PDF
  • Specially featured entertainment
    View PDF
PRS for Music Tariffs
  • Hotels, restaurants and cafes
  • Hotels, restaurants and cafes (Future)
    View PDF
  • Music in the workplace
    View PDF
  • Telephone music on hold
    View PDF

With effect from 1 July 2021, PRS for Music will be changing the way we calculate royalties for music used in hotel bedrooms. The change means that if you include devices such as DVD players, CD players, MP3 docking stations etc. within your hotel bedrooms you will only be charged for the device if you also supply the sound recordings and/or DVDs to play on the device. These can either be in the bedrooms or requested by your guests.

PRS for Music hope for most people this will be a welcome change and result in a reduction for this type of music use. This also brings Tariff HR in line with PPL’s equivalent tariff ‘Supply of Recorded Music to Hotel Bedrooms’ and now makes it easier for you to forecast and budget for TheMusicLicence.

PRS for Music have created some FAQs that may provide the answers you are looking for, but if you have further questions, please contact us on
0800 0720 808

Why have you made the change?
  • To align our approach with that of PPL, who already operate a similar charging policy in relation to the use of their sound recording repertoire. By aligning our policy with PPL’s, we hope you will benefit from a more streamlined and straightforward licensing and licence review process.
I am a Device-only customer - does your new charging policy mean I am entitled to a refund for past years?
  • The new charging policy is for the future use of PRS for Music repertoire starting from 1st July 2021. No refunds will be applied for PRS for Music repertoire used prior to this policy change.
Does the policy change mean you have been applying your charges incorrectly?
  • We have been charging in line with Tariff HR (para 4.5.) that was set by the Copyright Tribunal. We are making this change to the benefit our customers by providing a more streamlined and straightforward licensing process.
I also supply a TV/radio in addition to devices.
  • This change does not affect charges for TV/radio. For the purpose of calculating the royalty due from you we will charge you as if your guest bedrooms had been fitted solely with TVs and/or radios if you do not supply the sound recordings and/or DVDs.
I only supply docking stations – will I still be charged?
  • We treat docking stations in the same way as any other device that is or can be used to perform music. We will disregard the docking station for the purposes of calculating royalties if you only supply docking stations but do not also provide a smartphones/iPad or similar devices pre-loaded with sound recordings or DVD films for the use of hotel guests.

Discretionary Charging Policies

PPL and PRS for Music each separately operate a number of discretionary charging policies setting out circumstances in which, whilst legally entitled to do so, they choose not to apply a charge. Due to the specific nature of these policies please contact us for more information and to check if any of them apply to you.

FAQs

Can I play or perform music by specific artists only?
  • TheMusicLicence covers millions of songs and recordings, including the most popular and well-loved music not just from the UK but also from around the world.
  • You can play or perform the music of specific artists only if you wish, but it will not affect the cost of your licence. That’s because the cost is not calculated based on which music artists you play, but instead depends on factors such as the size of your business or organisation and the ways you use music.
Where does the money go?
  • When businesses and organisations pay PPL PRS Ltd for TheMusicLicence, we pass those royalties on to our parent companies, PPL and PRS for Music (after deduction of our running costs). The royalties are shared between PPL and PRS for Music based on which of their respective licensing tariffs apply to the music usage under your licence, and the costs due under those tariffs.
  • PPL and PRS for Music each have databases storing details of millions of musical compositions and recordings. Together with a wealth of information about what music is being used by customers, this enables PPL and PRS for Music to determine fairly and efficiently which of their members to pay, and how much to pay them.
  • This means that, by purchasing TheMusicLicence, you are supporting the future of music by helping to ensure its creators are paid for their work, so that the people who write, perform and record it can continue making the music you love.

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