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Christmas Music Licence

While 'tis is the season to be jolly, when it comes to decking the halls with boughs of holly and having festive music on full blast, you will need a Christmas Music Licence.

LICENCE Name

Christmas Music Licence

AUTHORITY

PPL PRS Ltd

TIME TO GET LICENCED Times can vary depending on type of venue
ELIGIBILITY 18+ years, right to work in UK
STEPS TO GET LICENSED
1

Submit Christmas Music Licence application to PPL PRS Ltd

Online application - www.pplprs.co.uk
Telephone application - 0800 0720 808
Get Licenced

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What is a Christmas Music Licence?

While you may think that having to fork out for a licence to play Christmas music over the festive season is a bit of a scourge move, having a music licence is necessary in order to ensure that singers, song writers and producers are distributed royalties fairly and above all else, legally.  

Having Christmas music being played in your business can help improve moral among staff, can cheer up grumpy customers and can generally get everyone in the mood for the festive season. What is a busy supermarket or a cluttered shopping centre during the month of December without the jingles of Mariah Carey or Wham to give you some festive cheer on Christmas.

To take advantage of the festive atmosphere that Christmas music can bring during this season, it is recommended that business owners take advantage of the Christmas Music Licence during the most wonderful time of the year and have themselves, their staff and their customers a very merry Christmas.

WARNING - Playing music in public without a licence is illegal and infringing copyright laws. You could be sued for damages if you do not have an appropriate licence.

How to apply for a Christmas Music Licence

The UK's two music licensing organisations are PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) and PRS (Performing Right Society for Music). Previously, businesses had to obtain separate music licences from PPL and PRS for Music. The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 states you need to get permission from the copyright holder to ‘perform’ music in public.

PPL and PRS have combined their services together to form PPL PRS Ltd. The Music Licence grants permission to perform music in public. This means that you will be legally authorised to play Christmas music in your place of business.

To apply for a Christmas Music Licence, applicants will need to apply via PPL PRS Ltd

FAQs

No. Playing music in public without a licence is illegal and infringing copyright laws. You could be sued for damages if you do not have an appropriate licence.
According to the Official PPL PRS Website, a music licence will grant licence holders millions of songs and recordings to play, including such Christmas classics from Michael Buble and Bing Crosby.
Purchasing music either digitally on a CD or any other means permits the buyer to listen to it at home for their personal use. However, if this music is played outside the home as a public performance whether that be a bar, restaurant or any other type of venue, then a Music Licence will be required.
Yes. If you are playing the radio in your business or organisation, you will still need to hold a Music Licence. A Music Licence allows you to legally play music for employees or customers in your business or organisation via a radio.
Using a mobile phone to play music in public is the same as playing it through a device such as an iPod, MP3 player or digital radio. If you are playing music in your business or organisation using a mobile phone, then you will be required to obtain a Music Licence.
There are certain circumstances under which you will not need to obtain a Music Licence to use copyright music in your business. This can include royalty free music and playing original music.
The cost of a Christmas music licence depends on a number of factors including your type of venue and how you use music in your day-to-day operations. There is a different cost to a Cinema playing background music in the foyer, to a Coffee shop playing music the whole day for example. According to the Official PPL PRS Website, a restaurant or cafe playing Christmas music via radio, with up to 30 seats, and an audible area below 400 sqm could play music for only 78p a day. To find out more about how costs are calculated and how much a Christmas Music Licence will cost for your venue, please visit PPL PRS Ltd