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Music Licence for Pubs, Restaurants and Cafes: TheMusicLicence, PRS and PPL Explained

Why playing music in a venue needs a licence, what TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS covers, what it costs and the exemptions

Quick answer

Every venue that plays recorded music to customers, from a radio in a cafe to a DJ in a bar, is performing copyrighted work in public and needs permission from the people who own it. In the UK that permission comes as TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS Ltd, the joint venture that collects for songwriters and publishers (PRS for Music) and for performers and record labels (PPL). It is entirely separate from the premises licence, which regulates regulated entertainment under the Licensing Act, and operators are regularly caught out by having one and not the other. This article explains who needs it, how the tariff works, what is exempt and what happens if you play music without one.

Playing recorded or live music to customers is public performance of copyright work and needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS Ltd, separate from the premises licence.
Tariffs are set by how music is used (background, live, DJ, TV, jukebox) and the size of the audience area or capacity.
A consumer streaming subscription does not license public performance; staff-only music and royalty-free services are the main exemptions.

Key takeaways

Playing recorded or live music to customers is public performance of copyright work and needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS Ltd, separate from the premises licence.

Tariffs are set by how music is used (background, live, DJ, TV, jukebox) and the size of the audience area or capacity.

A consumer streaming subscription does not license public performance; staff-only music and royalty-free services are the main exemptions.

Unlicensed use is copyright infringement, pursued in the civil courts for the fee plus damages.

Copyright Licensing Is Not Premises Licensing

The premises licence deals with whether music may be played at all as regulated entertainment and under what conditions, and since 2013 most live and recorded music between 8 am and 11 pm to audiences under 500 in licensed premises is deregulated and needs no licensing authority permission. Copyright is different: the songwriter, publisher, performer and label each own rights in a track, and playing it in a public place is a use of those rights that must be paid for regardless of what the premises licence says. PRS for Music collects for the composition; PPL collects for the recording. Since 2018 both are paid through one invoice, TheMusicLicence, from PPL PRS Ltd in Leicester.

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How the Tariff Is Calculated

TheMusicLicence is priced by how music is used and the size of the audience. For a pub or bar, background music is charged by the audience area in square metres; live music by the number of events and audience capacity; DJs and discos by event and capacity; TV showing music channels or sport with music at the same rate as background use with an uplift; and jukeboxes and karaoke by the unit. A small cafe with a radio may pay a few hundred pounds a year, a pub with weekly live music and a jukebox over a thousand, and a nightclub several thousand. PPL PRS publishes its tariffs and will quote from a description of the venue. Paying is annual, in advance, and the licence renews on the anniversary.

Exemptions and Grey Areas

Music played only to staff in a non-public area may be exempt from PRS but not always from PPL, so a kitchen radio is not automatically free. Charities and community buildings have concessions. Music that is genuinely royalty-free or licensed directly from the rights holders, as some background music services offer, does not need TheMusicLicence for those tracks, but a normal streaming subscription such as Spotify or Apple Music is for personal use only and does not license public performance, which is the most common misunderstanding in the trade. Live performers playing their own unpublished material need no licence for those songs; the moment they play a cover, the licence applies.

Enforcement and Penalties

PPL PRS has field staff who visit premises, and unlicensed public performance is copyright infringement, a civil matter that ends in a court order to pay the licence fee plus damages and costs, typically far more than the licence would have cost. It is not a licensing offence and does not affect the premises licence directly, but a court judgment is the kind of thing that surfaces at a review. Keep the current licence certificate with the premises licence and the renewal date in the tracker.

What to do next

Get a quote from PPL PRS for your actual use

Describe the audience area, the live events and the equipment honestly. Under-declaring is discovered at a visit and back-charged.

Common mistakes to avoid

Mistake

Playing Spotify through the bar speakers on a personal account

Instead

Personal streaming terms prohibit public use and do not carry a public performance licence. You need TheMusicLicence for the venue as well, or a business music service that includes the rights.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to play the radio in my cafe?

Yes. Radio played to customers is public performance of the music broadcast, and you need TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS Ltd. Only music played solely to staff in non-public areas may be exempt.

How much is a music licence for a pub?

It depends on the audience area and how music is used. A small pub with background music might pay a few hundred pounds a year; regular live music, DJs, a jukebox or TV sport push it into four figures. PPL PRS quotes from a description of the venue.

Is TheMusicLicence the same as my premises licence?

No. The premises licence from the council regulates entertainment under the Licensing Act; TheMusicLicence pays the copyright owners. Most venues need both.

Other Licences and Permits