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Help with buying a licence

If you're an MCPS member and you release your work through your own record company you can apply for an exclusion. This way your company won't be invoiced for releasing your own music.

Record label exclusions

Licences for concert venues, festivals, Local Authorities, theatres and universities

PRS for Music and PPL, the UK’s two music collecting societies, have joined forces to set up PPL PRS Ltd, a joint venture combining the two societies’ public performance licensing activities. PPL PRS Ltd launched the joint licence on 26 February 2018 and offers a single licence, called TheMusicLicence, on behalf of both PRS for Music and PPL, to play or perform music in public.

Tariffs

There are a range of tariffs to cover the different uses of music across various venue types. To help you understand how much TheMusicLicence could cost, visit the PPL PRS website to view all tariffs.

You need an online music licence if you’re hosting content on your website, or providing on demand streaming, permanent downloads, podcasts, webcasting and general entertainment content.

The licences we provide are:

  • Online Live Concerts Licence (OLC) used for live stream a concert in the UK or one of our managed territories (Malta, Cyprus, Gibraltar, The Bahamas or Bermuda).
    Read more about OLC
  • General Entertainment Online Licence (GEOL) used for medium to large online services making general entertainment content available in the UK, such as TV programmes that contain music but are not a pure music service.
    Read more about GEOL
  • Limited Online Music Licence (LOML) used for small digital services in the UK which offer on-demand streaming, permanent downloads, podcasts, webcasting and audiovisual content to UK audiences.
    Read more about LOML
  • Limited Online Music Licence Plus (LOML+) used for medium-sized digital services which offer on-demand streaming, permanent downloads and webcasting to a UK audience.
    Read more about LOML+
  • Performing Right Online Licence (PROL) used for digital services that have pre-cleared the mechanical rights separately and need to license the communication to the public of our members’ music via streaming or downloading.
    Read more about PROL
  • Music Downloads Licence (MDL) used for music downloading services that expect to exceed £200,000 in annual revenue.
    Read more about MDL
  • Multi-territory Licencing If you are planning to launch a music service that will be available in the UK and any other European territory, and you expect your revenue to exceed £200,000, please contact us.
    Read more about Online multi-territory licensing

These licences cover the communication to the public and associated mechanical rights of our members’ music through all digital services, including websites.

These licences do not cover content on third party websites and social media platforms such as YouTube or Facebook. Those wishing to live-stream via platforms such as Facebook and YouTube should be covered by the existing licensing agreements in place with those platforms. There are currently no licensing arrangements in place with Twitter or Twitch, negotiations are currently taking place with both of these companies. Please ensure you follow the terms of use and copyright requirements of each respective platform.

From CDs to newspaper covermounts, we offer music licences for a variety of music products.

CD and DVD covermounts

These licences cover CDs and DVDs manufactured and distributed to the public with magazines and newspapers
The covermount licences

Supplying fitness music services - FMS

This licence covers the supply of music to fitness instructors
The FMS licence

Importing products into the UK - JIL

This licence covers you for importing audio, audio-visual, karaoke, toy and novelty products into the UK.
The JIL licence

Issuing a digital copy with a vinyl purchase

This licence covers you offering a digital copy with the purchase of a vinyl.
The Vinyl Copy Code licence

Karaoke products - KAR

This licence covers you for the manufacture and distribution of karaoke products.
The KAR licence

Background music services - MSB2B

This licence covers the supply of background music services to business locations.
The MSB2B licence

Audio-visual products - AVP and DVD1

These licences cover you for releasing audio-visual products - like DVDs - for retail sale.
The AVP and DVD1 licences

Music promotions - AP4

This licence covers you for sending music promotions to the music industry in anticipation of a CD album or single release.
The AP4 licence

Recording background music for an exhibition - SG4

This licence covers music that's part of a public exhibition, specifically the process of recording the music you want playing.
The SG4 licence

Releasing audio-only products - AP1 and AP2

These licences cover the manufacture and distribution of audio-only products - like CDs and vinyl - for retail sale. 
The AP1 and AP2 licences

Specialist music products - SG6

This licence covers the creation and distribution of customised music products - like backing tracks, music quiz compilations and MIDI files.
The SG6 licence

Using music in your own products - LM

This blanket licence covers the use of music in your own CDs, DVDs and more - perfect for home movies and small personal projects. 
The LM licence

We license our members' music for use on FM, AM, DAB, cable and satellite radio stations.

TV broadcasters

TV Broadcast licence - BARB rated TV channels

For TV channels that broadcast music controlled by us within the UK and that are rated by BARB. This licence also covers TV channels that broadcast in the UK for reception outside the UK.
More details on the TV Broadcast Licence and how to apply

TV Broadcast Licence - Non BARB rated TV channels

If your TV channel broadcasts music controlled by us within the UK and is not BARB rated, a General Entertainment TV licence (GETV) is the correct licence.
More details on the GETV Licence and how to apply

Music TV licence

For TV channels that feature music videos or music programming in the majority of their broadcast schedule.
More details on the Music TV Licence and how to apply

Independent production companies

Independent Production Companies (IPC) licence

For Independent Production Companies that make TV programmes for UK broadcasters, including Channel 4 and Channel 5.
More details on the IPC Licence and how to apply

Music programmes licence

For Independent Production Companies (IPCs) that make music programmes for UK broadcasters, including Channel 4 and Channel 5.
More details on the Music Programmes Licence and how to apply

TV programme sales licence

For UK distributors, production companies, producers and broadcasters that are selling UK-originating programmes that contain members’ music.
More details on the TV Programme Sales Licence and how to apply

Welsh Independent Production Companies licence - Trwydded IPC S4C

For Independent Production Companies (IPCs) that make TV programmes for S4C.
More details on the Welsh IPC Licence and how to apply - in English
More details on the Welsh IPC Licence and how to apply - in Welsh

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