The fees paid to PRS and PPL ensure that performers and composers - many of whom do not earn millions - more like a few thousand a year - get their royalties and earn money from their song writing / musicianship and other industry professionals also get paid. I'm sure we would all wish to be paid for our work and its continued use. Music isn't free and having charitable status doesn't mean other people should not be paid.
I think the poor man in his booth is perfectly entitled to listen to the radio and you don't need to have a licence from PPS / PRL or anyone else. If that were the case we'd all have to have to pay royalty fees for listening to the car radio or on the beach or working on a shop floor. Re-instate his radio instantly - and in any other staff areas!
It's not clear what £600 covers but it comes it at around £1.65 a day. Maybe this cost should be built into annual budgets - much as you would the fees for freelancers - and make sure the global income for events covers outgoings. Perhaps a special fundraiser event could earn the annual fee and raise the profile of the project / centre at the same time.
The last time we used music we paid a very small royalty fee for the individual songs and certainly didn't pay any annual fee to PRS / PPL. We negotiated this on the phone with some very friendly reps at PRS.
Jan
Jan Pimblett
Principal Interpretation Officer
London Metropolitan Archives
Telephone: 020 7332 3893
Website: www.lma.gov.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Natalie Watson
Sent: 29 July 2008 08:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Performing Rights Society Licences for Playing Music
Not only do you have to pay the PRS but also another organisation called PPL! It's outrageous. We are a charity too and have decided that with a combined fee to both organisations of £600 pa we have banned radios and music everywhere (even our poor kiosk attendant, who works in a hut by himself, listening to the golf!!) Google the government response to a petition from folk such as us complaining and you will see what we are up against!
I have a theory that we are paying for Paul McCartney's divorce.......
Best wishes and let me know if YOU have any luck Helen
Helen Currie
Education and Events Manager
Buccleuch Heritage Trust
---------------------------------
There are sources of music that you can buy which come with a licence for public performance / using for cd production etc, and so do not need a payment to PRS.
I assume some googling will turn up a source - I have seen them advertised at education-focussed IT exhibitions.
David
David Dawson
Director, WANHS
Wiltshire Heritage Museum
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I looked into this same issue during a 1940s exhibition. I was then employed by a local authority. What I found then (over 10 years ago) was that the Museum could get listed under the council venues that performed live music or played background music (mostly concert halls). The museum was to keep a list of what was played and when. However, before we went down this line we contacted the company who had produced the tapes we wanted to play and they provided a letter giving us permission to play it in the gallery without payment - our agreement was that we would buy some copies for sale in the
shop and place a note next to the tape player thanking them.
Nigel Sadler
Sands of Time Consultancy
http://www.sandsoftimeconsultancy.com
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I encountered this problem when I was Education Officer at Haslemere Museum. A cold call asked the office staff if the museum ever used music - unfortunately the office staff didn't think before answering 'Yes we have carols (CDs given away free in newspapers) in Santa's Parlour'. So for the sake of a few days each year when music was sometimes used within that room rather than in the general public spaces the museum ended up having to spend money on not only PRS but also Public Performance License.
The charity shop issue has been much discussed in our house as it concerned the Mind shops & my husband is their MD. The company were well aware they needed licenses to play music in the shops but these were cases where volunteers had put a radio on in the stockroom where they were sorting donations etc. Sadly the news reports were wrong and no special agreement has been made between the licensing body & charity shops.
It'll be interesting to see if anyone takes this issue forward on behalf of museums. I'd also be interested to hear if you've had other responses.
Maggie Monteath
Museum Education Consultant
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