Public entertainments license

[Booldawg]

Someone once told me that they worked in a tyre fitting depot which had the radio on all day long. This was audible to passers by and someone got them in trouble for not having a public entertaiments licence. Is this true?

[Ethel]

It doesn't matter if passers by can hear it or not.

If you have a radio or play cds in the workplace you must have the correct licence, renewable each year.,

[Ethel]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/the_p_word/n ewsid_7457000/7457376.stm

[Twenty20]

You can play music 'privately' (i.e. on a mp3) but if you broadcast it (several people listening to it) you'll need a licence.

[Ethel]

MP3 via earphones does not exclude the need the licence:

PPL also state a public performance occurs whenever sound recordings are played outside the domestic or family circle. Whenever, a sound recording is played in a commercial environment, even if only one person can hear it, it becomes a public performance and a fee is payable to PPL.

http://www.djassociates.org/pro%20dub%20licenc e/pro%20dub%20licence.html

There must be a health and safety factor in listening to music via earphones in the workplace, too.

[Buenchico]

To be a bit pedantic, it's not a 'public entertainment licence' which is required. (They're issued by councils for venues hosting plays, live music, etc).

It's a PRS licence which is needed; they're issued directly by the Performing Right Society:
http://www.prsformusic.com/playingbroadcasting online/music_for_businesses/Pages/default.aspx

With specific reference to the tyre fitting depot you mention, a licence would be required even if the music was only audible to employees (and not to customers or passers by). If there were fewer than 5 workers who could hear the music, the current annual fee would be �44 + VAT (if they applied in advance) or �66 + VAT (if they waited until they got found out).

Where there are more employees (or members of the public) who can hear the music, the license fee is calculated based upon the number of people who'll hear the music and the length of time for which they'll be able to listen to it. For example, 16 employees listening to music for 250 days of the year, for just 4 hours each day, requires a licence fee of �851.64 + VAT.

Chris