Making Music can help your music group make sense of the legislation, work out your obligations and decide what steps you need to take.
Here’s a brief summary of the areas your music group might need to be informed about with regard to licensing:
Public entertainment
The Public Entertainment Act 2003 brought into effect the requirement for public performances, and the sale of alcohol, to be given only in venues which are regulated by their local authorities to do so.
Thanks to the lobbying activity of Making Music and other organisations, churches are exempt from the requirement to register to give public performances (but not from the sale of alcohol).
Our Information sheet 37: Public entertainment provides more information for members on this subject (please note that this information sheet is available to members only).
Performing or mechanical rights
If a piece of music is in copyright, you need to pay a royalty in order to perform it, record or broadcast it, or use it on your website.
We provide advice in our Information sheets to members in these areas, helping you to understand the issues, and providing easy ways for you to fulfil your obligations.
Live performance
We run a PRS for Music royalty scheme for our members, enabling them to pay royalties on performances of music in copyright (in unlicensed venues). Visit our Performing rights section to find out more, and browse our Performing rights FAQ section. Recording and broadcasting music
You need to purchase a licence from PRS for Music if you intend to record music in copyright. We explain this to members in our Information sheet 20: Music recording (please note that this information sheet is available to members only).
If you are going to broadcast a copyright sound recording, or a recording of music which is in copyright, you will also need to acquire licences to do so. See our Information sheet 3: Performing rights for more information (please note that this information sheet is available to members only).
Using music online
YouTube and MySpace have famously agreed a blanket licence for any music uploaded to their sites, but if you are going to use copyright music on your own website you will need permission to do so. See Information sheet 66: Use of music online (please note that this information sheet is available to members only).
