The importance of paying your music licence

It’s important to contact us when you start using music in your business or organisation, and provide us with the correct information, so we can ensure you’re covered correctly by TheMusicLicence. Music is valuable, and so are those that make it.

What is the music licence?

If you use, play, or perform music in your business or organisation, the chances are you need a music licence. Obtaining TheMusicLicence gives you permission, in relation to the vast majority of commercially available music. This ranges from grassroots and independent artists and composers through to the biggest names in the business. The licence allows you to legally play music for your customers and employees in your business through the radio, TV, other digital devices, and performances.

From background music to live performances, it’s your responsibility to contact us regarding your music usage- but we are on hand to help guide you through your music licence journey. 

Where does the money go?

TheMusicLicence ensures those who are involved in creating the music we all enjoy are fairly paid for their hard work and talent. After our business costs, all the music licence fees we collect go back to PPL and PRS for Music who then process, allocate and distribute royalties to the music creators they represent.

PPL represents the rights of over 165,000 performers and recording rightsholders while PRS for Music represents the rights of over 175,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers. By purchasing TheMusicLicence you are supporting the future of music by ensuring those people who write, perform, compose, record, or publish music are fairly paid for their work.

*Data supplied by PPL and PRS for Music, representative of annual reports and statements for 2023.
For more information about PPL’s and PRS for Music’s 2023 annual royalty distribution please visit: www.ppluk.com and www.prsformusic.com

What happens if I don’t pay my music licence?

By paying your music licence invoice within the terms and conditions of TheMusicLicence, we can ensure our members receive payment for their work. If you notice your music usage and invoice is incorrect or have further questions about the fees, you can get in touch with us, and we’ll be on hand to help you understand your usage and invoice in further detail.

If you play music within your business and have attained a music licence with us, but have not paid or setup a payment plan in accordance with the terms and conditions of TheMusicLicence, you may be breaching your contract. We are on hand to assist you in paying your invoice to ensure you can continue reaping the benefits of having music in your business.

If you continue to play music within your business or organisation without a licence, this is considered infringement of copyright, as having a music licence is a legal requirement [Gov.uk].  If you’ve been playing music in your business for some time without a licence, it’s important you inform us as soon as possible so we can license you correctly and you can continue to play music, legally.

It’s important to maintain contact with our specialist team who are on hand to help get your licence correct and paid for. We look to contact you through email, phone and letter to resolve any situation you may find yourself in, so it’s also important you provide us with up-to-date contact and business information.

What having a licence means for your business

Having a music licence ensures you’re legally covered to play commercial music within your business. But it also means you’re able to experience the benefits of having music within your business. From reducing stress to enhancing the customer experience, there are many benefits of playing music for both your employees and customers. Over the years we’ve worked with several businesses from different sectors, big and small, to see how they use music to benefit their business, and you can read their success stories here.

It’s really easy to set up and make sure you have the correct licence for your business, so contact us on 0800 182 2002 to speak about your music usage today, or fill in the form to get a quote.

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How do I get TheMusicLicence?

Call us on 0116 290 0525

(8am to 6pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 3pm Friday)

Please contact us or complete our Get TheMusicLicence Form to arrange a quote.