Commercial radio licence
Who needs this licence
Commercial radio stations that are broadcasting on AM, FM, DAB, cable or satellite, including online simulcasts.
If your radio station is online only, please look at the Limited Online Music Licence.
What this licence covers
This licence covers the right to:
- broadcast and simulcast our members' music from the UK
- provide on demand content for up to 30 days after its original broadcast
- copy commercial works into programmes
- copy production music into programmes and trailers
- copy music for broadcast onto databases and servers
This is a summary of the rights covered by this licence. See the Terms and Conditions for more details, including relevant exceptions and limitations.
How we calculate the licence fee
The licence fees are calculated as a percentage of the station’s annual Net Broadcasting Revenue (NBR), plus an annual royalty fee.
Annual royalty fees*
| Annual Net Broadcasting Revenue |
Royalty Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £140,877 | £77 |
| Between £140,877 and £352,192 | £232 |
| Between £352,192 and £912,347 | £578 |
| Between £912,347 and £1,824,696 | £1,550 |
| Between £1,824,696 and £4,226,299 | £2,324 |
| Greater than £4,226,299 | £5,424 |
Annual royalty rate*
Annual Net Broadcast Revenue |
Royalty Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £39,325 | £1,178 |
| Between £39,325 and £912,347 |
3% |
Between £912,347 and £1,824,696 |
4% |
| Greater than £1,824,696 |
5.25% |
| Subject to the annual minimum fee, where the total music use is less than 15% of total broadcast time, and regardless of the NBR level, the percentage rate will be | 1% |
Annual minimum fee
If your station’s NBR for the year ending 30 September 2023 is less than £39,325 the fee will be £1,255.
Apply for a licence
Contact us
If you need advice or have any questions about your application, please email radiolicensing@prsformusic.com.
If your radio station is online only, please email us at applications@prsformusic.com or call out licensing team on +44 (0)20 3741 3888.
