Cinemas
Whether it’s putting the ambiance into the auditorium, the flair into the foyer or bringing the beat onto the big screen, if you’re playing music in your cinema, you’ll usually need TheMusicLicence.
It can be easy to forget that music is used all the time in cinemas. No matter how you are using music on your premises, by obtaining TheMusicLicence you’ll be able to play the music in the PRS for Music and PPL repertoires legally in your cinema and enjoy its benefits whilst ensuring that its creators are fairly rewarded for their work.
Benefits of TheMusicLicence
Whether you’re playing music in a cinema foyer, bar area or in the auditoria between film performances, music in your cinema has the potential to enhance the experience you provide to your customers and staff. The right music choices could even help you to promote future performances and upcoming releases.
Creating a red-carpet experience
Playing music at your cinema could not only help to provide an entertaining environment for your customers but could also:
Before contacting PPL PRS, 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 cinema music licence.
Cinema review form
As you may be aware, all music used in your cinema needs to be declared to PPL PRS. The best way to do this is via the PPL PRS Cinema Review Form below. It is important to complete and submit this form to ensure you are charged appropriately for your cinema’s music usage for the past licensing year, and to allow us to determine your royalty rate for the next licensing year.
How is my music licence cost calculated?
If you’re using music in your cinema, the chances are you’ll need TheMusicLicence.
The cost of TheMusicLicence varies from cinema to cinema, depending on their specific characteristics, so please contact us for a quote
PPL PRS is a new company, equally owned by PPL and PRS for Music. It has been created to provide customers with a streamlined music licensing service – TheMusicLicence – with a single point of contact to make it easier to obtain a licence to play and perform music in public. Previously, businesses, organisations and venues would have had to purchase two separate licences from PPL and PRS instead.
TheMusicLicence allows you to legally play and perform music in your business, including when it is part of the film exhibition and when it is used in other areas of your premises. If you play or perform music in your premises you will usually need TheMusicLicence. It will cover you with one licence for the use of virtually all commercially released music available, including millions of songs and recordings, from the most popular and well-loved music not just from the UK but also from around the world.
After deduction of our business costs, the licence fees we collect are distributed to those involved in making music via our parent companies PPL and PRS. They each have databases storing details of millions of musical compositions and recordings. Together with a wealth of information about which music is used, this enables PPL and PRS to determine fairly and efficiently which of their members to pay and how much to pay them.
It is still important for licensees who host events and performances without the use of music to declare these to us. In doing so, it allows us to ensure that your licence fee and account information is correct. If you are unsure about whether you need a licence, please contact us on 0800 0720 808 or at cinemas@pplprs.co.uk.
If your cinema premises/company does not hold cinematic screening regularly, you will be licensed under other tariffs; which will vary according to the nature of your business. Please contact us on cinemas@pplprs.co.uk for more information and for details of other tariffs and charges.
If you are playing or performing music in a comedy show, theatrical performance or pantomime, you will usually need TheMusicLicence. There are several different tariffs to license the use of music, both live and recorded, in theatrical and variety performances. Visit pplprs.co.uk/business/theatres for more information or contact our Theatre and Variety Specialist at varietyapplications@pplprs.co.uk
How do I get TheMusicLicence?
Call us on 0116 290 0525
(8am-6pm, Monday-Friday)
Alternatively you can complete the online form and an adviser will be in touch.
