Podcasts and Audiobooks scheme consultation

The podcast and audiobook licence is designed to license platforms or digital service providers (DSPs), as well as individuals or businesses, who make audio content available on their own website or application for delivery to the consumer.

The podcast and audiobook licence is a joint PRS & MCPS licence which covers platforms and DSPs, as well as individuals or businesses making audio content available to consumers via their website or app and the following rights: 

• The communication to the public of PRS for Music repertoire
• The communication to the public of Production Music Sound Recordings
• Mechanical rights in MCPS member and affiliated mechanical repertoire for the purpose of making such content available for streaming on-demand and for download on the licensed service.

Customers should check when their existing LOML licence expires. LOML licences will remain valid until date of expiry, at which point customers will be required to take out the new podcast & audiobook licence.

The licence fee is determined by the number of music hours consumed within each licence year at a rate per music hour listened of £0.0152, subject to an annual minimum fee of £188 + VAT. The rate per music hour RPMH and the annual minimum fee will be adjusted by the consumer price index (CPI) rate of inflation each year.

The podcast and audiobook licence does not cover: 

• Audio-visual content including video podcasts or ‘vodcasts’. 
• Any reproduction or synchronisation rights to incorporate music into the audio content as part of the creation of the podcast or audiobook. If you wish to use any commercial music or production music into your content, an additional sync licence will be needed. Synchronisation rights for using commercial music in podcasts and audiobooks need to be cleared directly with the rightsholders (both with publishers and with record labels for the sound recording). You can find more information about this type of music use here.

In order to make accurate distributions to our members and to ensure they’re fairly remunerated for their work, customers will be required to submit music usage reports (cue sheets) as well as consumption data (number of downloads or streams) to PRSfM on a quarterly basis.  Customers who will be paying under the annual minimum fee will not be required to report on a quarterly basis, however, PRSfM reserves the right to request reporting on an ad hoc basis and will ask for reporting on review to ensure that those customers still fall within the permissible number of annual music hours on the licensed service.