Background music in a small shop

[Bathsheba]

What's the situation regarding playing background music from radio/cd player in a small barber shop? We've recently been contacted by the performing rights society saying we need a licence. Any help much appreciated thanks.

[dot.hawkes]

yes you do, it depends on the square footage of the shop, we can't play any recorded music aT work when the store is open to the public for this reason, debenhams therefore have their own pre-recorded 'radio' cds, all concesions that play music are also using cds thathave been especially compiled. It isn't expensive for a license depending on your financial situation.

[Bathsheba]

Hi Dot! How are you?
Don't know actual area of shop but it's run by 1 person, + it's titchy tiny. About the size of a small living room.

[Ethel]

You certainly do need a licence, even to play a cd you have bought or to play the radio.

The exception is if you write the songs and record yourself singing them.
http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk/playingbroa dcastingonline/music_for_businesses/Shops_and_ stores/Pages/shopsandstores.aspx

[kempie]

http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk/about_us/wh yneedpayformusic/Pages/whyneedpayformusic.aspx

[tufty7]

The company I work for last year sent out a memo saying under no circumstances should customers be allowed to listen to music wafting in from the work shop areas and all radios should be silenced, It has since relaxed the rules after coming to an arrangement for all 200 workshops, so yes turn it off or turn it down so customers cannot hear it , or wear some ear phones for your individual needs....

[Bathsheba]

Thanks to all for your replies. I'm going to phone Ofcom in the morning + see what they have to say about it.

[Ethel]

What did Ofcom say?

[kempie]

I would expect them to say "Nothing to do with us".

[Bathsheba]

Hi everyone. Ofcom just confirmed that we DO need a licence, so I rang the PRS + they said we will have to pay �118 for the 1st year, then it will be reduced by 33% next year.Can't see my husband liking that idea, so got a feeling the radio/cd player will be winging its way back home! Thanks for your interest.

[kempie]

Did Ofcom mention anything about also requiring a PPL licence?

http://www.ppluk.com/

[Bathsheba]

Oh ffs! Thanks for that link kempie- Big Brother definitely is alive + well!

[Bathsheba]

Sometimes my husband eats a sandwich for lunch and the mayo on it isn't always low-fat- dya think the food police will be paying him a visit soon?

[dot.hawkes]

just to add, this has been the rules since at least the 1970s cos in 1976 i worked in a record shop and we had a visit from the local authority who seemed to have something to do with it, i can't remember if we had to have a license because we were selling the records, but the clothes shop next door did cos they had a piped music system playing tapes and they had to pay �80, that's in 1976 money!!!!! so it's not really expensive now is it????

[tarotman]

Hi we paly spiritual music in our new age shop, last year prs said we did not need a license because of the type of music we play. Now ppl come along and say we need one!!!!

[tarotman]

We play spiritual music in our new age shop and last year prs said we did not need a license because of the type of music we play, this year ppl come along and say we do!!!help