Music licencing – new tariffs for sports clubs still not available
New legislation has ended the exemption for sports clubs in regard to obtaining a music licence. However the new music licencing tariffs for sports clubs drawn up by collecting societies PRS and PPL is still awaiting official clearance.
Following consultation with the Sport and Recreation Alliance, PRS and PPL submitted tariffs to the Copyright Tribunal for collecting money from clubs which play music. However, the Tribunal has still not approved the tariffs which means that PRS and PPL cannot yet licence sports clubs under the new proposed charging structure. Whilst the situation creates uncertainty for sports clubs, it does mean that many clubs continue to fall outside of the collection process and may not need to pay for a licence until the end of the year when the tariff is signed off.
Already Paying for a Licence: Those clubs which already pay for a licence through PRS are advised to contact PRS to discover whether they would be better off waiting to be licenced under the new tariff. Occasionally, clubs can find themselves in the wrong tariff for music licensing charges. To double check, here is the propriety rate guidance and the non-profit rate guidance.
If you receive a notice to pay for a licence or have any queries about music licences please contact Alex Thompson or Dave Stubley – details below:
Alex Thompson, Club Management & Governance Officer: Tel: 07894 489 756 – Email: alexthompson@rfu.com
Dave Stubley, Club Management & Governance Manager: Tel: 07736 722387 – Email: davestubley@rfu.com