Playing Music in Bars

[gidwick]

Does anyone here have any clues on what the laws are for playing music in pubs, is this covered by an entertainments licence!

We have a computer system in my bar where we load MP3s and then amp through the sound system, is this legal and is this classed as background music?

Also is the music played by D'Js legal too, as they are playing commercial tracks too.

Thanks for your help!

[kempie]

http://www.prs.co.uk/DocsRepository/3461/

[hayley2956]

im not 100% but i do think you need a license to play any kind of pre recorded music. there are lots of different licenses, all covering people actually performing, the playing of music and also the showing of music videos, so if i were u i wud deffo check this out!! xx

[dannydingbat]

Yes, as a licensing lawyer, I have more than a clue as to what you can do.

You have a bar, so you already have a Premises Licence which details all of your licensable activities, inlcuding the sale of alcohol and anything else which needs licensing, inlcuding the playing of music or the facilities for people to do so.
If you had a Public Entertainment Licence prior to 6th August, you could have applied to transfer these rights to your new Premises Licence under the new Licensing Act. If you did not do so, you may be acting unlawfully by playing music. I cannot advise further unless I know what you had then and have now. There is the possibility that music is "incidental" and not licensable but that depends on its extent and frequency and whether people are attracted by it.

The other aspect is Performing Rights as said before