Licencing minefield
Hello.
I really want to do things right and am struggling to get my head around all the licencing requirements for singing in different venues in the UK. Perhaps if I list what I know, someone may be able to confirm that it is correct?
If we sing in a church and the church has a CCLI Licence, we are covered regardless of what we sing?
If we sing in a shopping centre, it is the responsibility of the shopping centre to contact PPL / PRS to inform them of the event?
If we sing outside, at an unticketed event, we would need to obtain a licence ourselves from PPL / PRS?
It all seems quite complicated.
I'm also wondering what sort of licence we would need to be able to record and distribute rehearsal tracks legally? or record the concerts?
I'd be very grateful for any advice, clarification or information you may have. I'm feeling a bit bogged down.
Thank you
Jill
9 comments
It is a minefield and I suspect there'll be a mix of answers /interpretations here! So I may not have it right, below, but this is how I understand it......for the UK!
Churches - CCLI and OneLicence only cover services and the publishers which are registered to those licensing companies. The church has to file returns but it's for services not concerts. Concerts need PRS/PPL.
The bottom line with any event is who is the organiser. The organisation in charge needs to have the licence. They should require you to file your music details unless they have some sort of bulk deal (which is how broadcasting works). If you're the promoter then it's you, of course.
There's a bunch of advice from Victoria which I assume is somewhere on the website about recording and distributing tracks. There's also licences needed for use of lyric printouts and screening music & lyrics.
Thank you very much for your reply. What you have said makes sense but it contradicts what I was told today during an online chat with PPL PRS. They said we'd be covered for all copyright music if the church is covered by a CCLI Licence. I told them we are a community choir using the venue for a concert. I did doubt what they were telling me.
Thanks for that good advice Mike. What would be the 'licence needed for use of lyric printouts and screening music and lyrics'? As far as I know, there's no place in the UK to legitimately buy a licence to distribute lyrics, other than approaching individual rights holders. If there is a way, I'd love to know. It would make life so much easier for amateur choirs.
I knew there'd be a trip hazard in there...... I am now looking for the reference I remember from lockdown. Maybe it was a USA thing?
Interesting to see this for schools though, in addition to churches - https://copyrightandschools.org/written-and-published-materials/sheet-music-and-lyrics/
it's interesting to read the various commentaries about the legitimacy or otherwise of lyric websites which never get pursued, of course, and everyone can see on their smartphones as they sing........
It’s bonkers isn’t it! If your choir all have smartphones and tablets, they can access lyrics, but print them on paper for the technophobes and you’re breaking the law.
Hi Jill. This is undoubtedly a minefield! It's a bit of a soapbox of mine that the law relating to copyright and licensing is woeful out of step with the digital age and desperately needs an overhaul, but we are where we are.
The licence you probably need for your rehearsal tracks is the Limited Online Music Licence. It's reasonably priced and it allows you to put copyright material on your website and stream it live (if you do that). That should cover you for creating rehearsal tracks for your choir members, although only if you're making them available online, not distributing them in physical form.
If you want to do a recording, you'll need a licence from PMLL. From what I remember when we last did a choir recording, it's quite reasonably priced.
My usual advice to choir leaders on this subject is to do what you reasonably can, then don't worry too much about it. In the UK, there are no criminal penalties for breach of copyright - it's a civil matter. So the worst that would happen if you got something wrong is a snotty letter from a rights holder telling you to stop.
So let the venues worry about performance licences. Keep records of what you perform and report when you're asked to. Buy music legitimately. Get a licence if you want to make a recording. Beyond that, don't worry.
Thank you!
all really interesting and informative! something that always worries me, too. What about using an organisations such as Making Music for the choir? I have thought about it, but wonder if it is a necessary expense? What do others think? Stella Moore
Making Music Is a great organisation. I don’t the exact benefits that membership gives you, but I think insurance is available.
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