PRS for Music Launches Code of Practice

PRS for Music today launched a customer code of practice in a commitment ‘to be easy to do business with’.

The code is the first time the organisation has formally laid down its mission statement and provides a clear commitment to good service and transparent processes.

PRS for Music also announced the appointment of Ombudsman Services to provide an independent complaints review service, for their public performance licensing activities.

Launching at the House of Commons in front of a host of MPs and PRS for Music members and customers, the 12 point guide takes users through a simple step-by-step guide, explaining what PRS for Music does and what people should expect in their dealings with the society.

Devised after a long consultation with stakeholders including the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Beer and Pub Association the code aims to make the process of music licensing easier and clearer for UK businesses. The launch is particularly timely following Lord Carter’s Digital Britain report in June 2009 which called on licensing organisations to be more transparent and follow agreed practices. 

This is a great step forward for us in our licensing operations and I’m pleased we were ahead of the curve on bringing this Code of Practice out. We’ve made a number of improvements over the last year and I’m delighted so many businesses are choosing to use music and creators are benefiting. We have listened to our customers and their representatives and we hope that the introduction of the Code and an Ombudsman will assure them that we are making a genuine commitment to good conduct.

The code comes into effect from today and is available on the PRS for Music website.