- Do I need a licence from PPL or PRS For Music to stream music?
Previously, businesses and organisations had to purchase two separate licences from PPL and PRS For Music to stream music.
PPL PRS is equally owned by PPL and PRS For Music. TheMusicLicence was developed to provide customers with a more streamlined music licensing experience, with a single licence and point of contact to make it easier for your business to legally play or perform music in public.
- Can I play streaming platforms such as Spotify in my business?
When you sign up for a streaming service the terms and conditions that you agree to will often specify that you can only use them for personal use. If you want to play music in your business via a streaming platform you will require a commercial streaming service. You can get a service from one of the companies licensed by PPL and PRS for Music to provide streaming services to commercial organisations. You will still need TheMusicLicence to allow you to legally play music for your employees and customers.
PPL and PRS for Music license a number of specialist providers to enable them to provide background music, hard disk players or digital jukeboxes to commercial premises. Details of these companies and the services that they offer can be found here.
- I stream international music. Do I still need TheMusicLicence?
Not only do PPL and PRS for Music represent millions of musical compositions and recordings from UK artists and music creators, they also work with over 100 affiliated international societies, that all operate under reciprocal agreements, in over 150 different countries around the world.
The royalties collected are passed to the relevant overseas societies who will in turn pay the artists and music creators. So, if the international music is covered by a reciprocal agreement, you will require TheMusicLicence.
- What happens if I continue to stream or perform music without a licence, or without paying the applicable fees?
It's your responsibility to ensure that you are properly licensed for any music usage taking place in your business or organisation.
Streaming music without the appropriate licence may amount to copyright infringement. If we have reason to believe that you are using copyright music without an appropriate licence, then we have reasonable grounds to collect evidence which may be used in a copyright infringement claim against you.
When taking out TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS, your rights and obligations are set out in the TheMusicLicence Terms & Conditions, including your obligation to pay a royalty and to provide us with information required under the applicable tariff to assist us in calculating that royalty.
If any payments under the licence become overdue, we will contact you by post, email or telephone. If appropriate, we may refer the account to our enforcement team or a debt collection agency. In some cases, we may even terminate your licence, which may then lead to legal action for copyright infringement.
More information is available in TheMusicLicence Terms and Conditions.
- How can I stream music after purchasing TheMusicLicence?
Once you have purchased TheMusicLicence you can legally play music for employees or customers in your business or organisation. If you want to play music in public within your business via a streaming service, this will require a commercial background streaming service to do so.
PPL and PRS for Music license a number of specialist providers to enable them to provide background music, via streaming, hard disk players or digital jukeboxes to commercial premises.
Details of these companies and the services that they offer can be found here:
- What does playing music ‘in public’ mean?
Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, permission is needed from the relevant copyright holders – those who create, record and publish music – in order to play or perform music in public.
Broadly speaking, this includes any presentation of music outside of a domestic setting. For example, it will include using music in the following ways as part of your business or organisation (for the benefit of customers and/or employees): playing recorded music via any device including the radio, TV broadcasts such as sports or other audio-visual content containing music; or putting on live performances of music.
There are a range of tariffs to cover the different uses of music across various venue types. However, the use of this music will require permission from the copyright holders and TheMusicLicence will give you that permission, covering the vast majority of commercially released music.
Music Streaming for Business
Practical, easily accessible & bespoke to you. Music streaming has grown commonplace in many aspects of our lives and changed the way we listen to music.
Streaming provides your business with access to a wide variety of music, including new artists & genres, allowing you to tailor your music taste to reflect your brand & customer preferences.
So, why do you need TheMusicLicence to stream music in your business?
In order to stream, play or perform music in public within your business or organisation you may need a music licence from PPL PRS. This ensures permission is granted from the relevant copyright holders in relation to the vast majority of commercially available music.
Streaming tunes
Streaming music has undoubtedly revolutionised the way we consume music. With the advent of various music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, we can now access millions of songs at our fingertips.
However, as much as these streaming services have changed our lives, it’s essential to remember the artists, producers, writers and composers who dedicate their lives to creating our favourite tunes.
Before you start streaming music in your business, you may have some questions that we can help answer:
It helps to know the difference between personal use (domestic) and a public performance. So, what are they exactly?
- Domestic use (personal use) – Playing or performing any music within a domestic setting e.g at home, with friends, at house gatherings, family parties etc.
- Public performance – Playing or performing any music outside of a domestic setting e.g streaming music for the benefit of staff and customers in a business or organisation. Please see our FAQ’s on Public Performance for more information.
Popular streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube, to name a few, are for personal use only. When you agree to their Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) you confirm that you will only use the service for personal use and not in any commercial business setting. Please refer to the T&Cs of these services for more information about the commercial usage of these streaming platforms.
To play or perform music in a public space or within your business and organisation (including via the use of a commercial streaming platform) you may need TheMusicLicence. This ensures permission is granted from the relevant copyright holders in relation to the vast majority of commercially available music. By purchasing a music licence, you can play or perform thousands of your favourite songs from the PPL & PRS for Music, repertoire of music.
Music Streaming for Business
One of the biggest benefits of playing music is its ability to enhance the overall experience of your business. Whether you run a coffee shop, retail store, office or bar, music can help create a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere, increasing customer satisfaction and employee productivity. Additionally, playing music may lead to an increase in foot traffic and encourage customers to stay longer, resulting in increased sales and revenue.*
When thinking about playing music for your staff and/or customers, turning on the radio may immediately come to mind, but there are other options to consider, such as hard disk background music services, digital jukeboxes or licensed streaming services for use in a commercial setting. There are a number of companies licensed by PPL and PRS for Music to provide these services to commercial businesses and they can help you tailor your music selection to fit your audience, and allow you to tailor your music taste to reflect your brand and customer preferences.
Details of these companies and the services they offer can be found here:
Practical, easily accessible and bespoke. Streaming made simple.
Streaming music has become an increasingly popular option for businesses of all sizes and industries. It offers a convenient and cost-effective way to create a pleasant atmosphere for customers, employees, and visitors. Once you’ve selected your preferred commercial platform, not only is it easy to set up, but it also provides access to a vast library of commercial music, allowing you to create and tailor the perfect playlist to reflect your brand and audience.
Ultimately, streaming music via a commercial platform can be an excellent option for businesses looking to enhance the overall experience. With it being easy to use, flexible, and affordable, it’s no wonder more and more businesses are turning to streaming music as a valuable tool for success.
So, why do you need TheMusicLicence to stream music in your business?
If you play or perform music via a commercial streaming service in your business or organisation, the chances are you’ll need TheMusicLicence.
Under The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, permission is needed from the relevant copyright holders – those people who create music – in order to play or perform music in public, this includes playing any music outside of a domestic setting.
Obtaining TheMusicLicence gives you this 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.
Once you have purchased TheMusicLicence for your business you will be legally licensed for the public performance of and to play music within your organisation. You will then have access to millions of tracks to play to your customers.
How much does it cost?
If you are streaming music in the UK, the cost of TheMusicLicence for a particular business or organisation depends on a number of factors, such as the size of the business or organisation and the ways it uses music.
So, to calculate your fee, we may need you to provide information such as square meterage, number of employees, or venue capacity. We may also need to know the types of devices you use to play recorded music, and information about any live performances of music.
We will ensure you are appropriately licensed under the correct tariff that fits your business specification. You will then have permission to publicly perform music to your customers.
* We surveyed 500 people in the UK to discover the impact of listening to background music when purchasing good and receiving other services from various sectors. Survey conducted via Attest in February 2023.*
Music Streaming FAQs
Get a quote
If you’ve got all your information ready, please contact us or complete our Get TheMusicLicence form to arrange a quote.
Call us on 0116 290 0525
(8am-6pm, Monday-Friday)
How to listen
- Radio & TV
- Music Streaming
- CDs, MP3s & other recordings
- Live Music
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Thinking about playing the radio or TV in your business and want to know more?
What is TheMusicLicence?
What is TheMusicLicence
Do I need a music licence?
Do I need a music licence?
Where does my money go?
Where does my money go?
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.
