PRS for Music Reduces Tariff for Small Businesses

Workplaces with 4 or fewer people now pay £44 after consultation with Federation of Small Businesses

Music can now be played in workplaces with four or fewer staff for less than £1 a week.

Small workplaces wishing to obtain a music licence can now pay a reduced flat rate of £44 per annum + VAT – whereas before, it would have cost them around £84.

The change – which is a reduction of almost 50 per cent - was brought in by PRS for Music after consultation with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and its wider membership.

Currently over 350,000 businesses hold a music licence in the UK but many FSB members had indicated they were unsure of how much a licence would cost for small workplaces – and some of the smallest businesses had found the charges too high.

We’ve listened to our customers and realise that it is an exceptionally difficult trading time at present. Introducing this new reduction will make it possible for small workplaces to use all the music they need whilst still ensuring that content creators are fairly compensated.

This welcome move will be a real relief for many small businesses who want to be able to play music and not pay over the odds for it, especially during these tough times. Playing music in the workplace can help boost staff morale and the FSB is pleased that PRS for Music has put in place an affordable way for small business owners to enhance the working environment for their staff.

The new charge underlines PRS for Music’s commitment to extend the commercial use of music in the nation’s businesses whilst being mindful of the tough trading conditions many businesses face at present. Research has shown that music enhances a working environment and many businesses feel staffs are more productive if allowed to listen to music whilst working.