Do I need a music licence?
You need to purchase a licence if your business, organisation or the content you produce uses, streams or plays music.
What do you need a licence for?
Because music is protected by copyright, you need permission to use it from the artists who create it.
A licence from PRS for Music gives you the ability to legally play music for employees or customers in your business through the radio, TV and digital devices, or if you host live performances.
What kind of music licence do I need?
There are different types of music licences available. These vary depending on your requirements as a business.
Hosting content on your website? You need one of our online music licences. Here’s what they cover:
- on-demand streaming
- permanent downloads
- audiovisual content that contains music
- podcasts
- ringtones
These licences do not cover content on third party websites and social media platforms such as YouTube or Facebook.
DJ Mixes
DJs performing mixes they've burned onto a digital device.
Live events
PRS for Music and PPL, the UK’s two music collecting societies, have joined forces to set up PPL PRS Ltd, a joint venture combining the two societies’ public performance licensing activities. PPL PRS Ltd launched the joint licence on 26 February 2018 and offers a single licence, called TheMusicLicence, on behalf of both PRS for Music and PPL, to play or perform music in public.
Licences to cover the following uses:
- retail audio products, such as CDs and vinyl
- audio products that are music promotions
- joint imports
- magazine and newspaper covermounts
- specialist music products, such a music quiz compilations
- limited manufacture products
- vinyl copy codes
- audio-visual products, such as DVDs
- digital memory devices, such as USBs
- supplying background music to businesses
- recording music to play at an exhibition
- supplying music to fitness instructors
Using MCPS Production Music
Production/Library music companies produce music for licensing into soundtracks for TV, film, advertising, radio, trailers and other media outlets. Please follow the link below for a full listing of our MCPS Production Music members and relevant tariffs.
Using commercial music
If you are using commercial music in your film, advert, video game or other audio visual production, please follow the link below for more information on our track clearing service.
Licences to use music on:
- commercial radio
- community radio
- hospital radio
- long-term radio, such as for student campus, an army base or prison
- short-term radio that's OFCOM-licensed
- radio adverts
We also provide licences for independent radio production companies.
Licences that cover music when played at one of the following:
- charity or community building
- cinema
- club
- educational establishment
- exhibition
- hair & beauty company
- health practice
- hotel or guesthouse
- leisure, sport and fitness facility
- mobile business
- office or factory
- pub or bar
- restaurant or café
- shop
- sports ground or stadia
- transport business
This also includes music that's played on the phone to customers while on hold.
PRS for Music and PPL, the UK’s two music collecting societies, have joined forces to set up PPL PRS Ltd, a joint venture combining the two societies’ public performance licensing activities. PPL PRS Ltd launched the joint licence on 26 February 2018 and offers a single licence, called TheMusicLicence, on behalf of both PRS for Music and PPL, to play or perform music in public.
If you're launching a digital music service that will be available in the UK and any other European territory.
Online licences outside the UK