In another example of the music industry’s rampaging crusade to squeeze cash out of everything that lives and breathes, community groups such as Scouts have been slapped with new rules by the Performing Rights Society that state that they must have a Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) license in order to play music – even at charity events.
This is yet another example of shameless profiteering by a music industry that seems unwilling to modernise its business model, instead preferring to offset its perceived losses due to piracy with Draconian measures like this, that harm community groups and will cause them to cancel events if the rules aren’t changed. The only losers in the case of Scouts are the children themselves and the charity they support.
Under these new rules, all events would be subject to obtaining a PPL – a license that grants artists royalties – and this can cost up to £800 depending on the number of people that can listen to the music in the venue.
It’s the same kind of license a pub needs to have in order to have music on. The premises has to have the license and can play any music, but the royalties are distributed based on radio airplay and high street sales. So if you’re a small time artist on a small time label but you are part of the PRS, you may not get proportional cash even if a pub or club plays your tune on repeat for a whole year unless it’s played on a medium that can realistically be logged, like radio, or purchased on the high street.
Christian Licensing International (who licence music in schools and churches) has made this exact point. They said the Christian artists responsible for most/all of the music they use would not receive fair royalties because people don’t generally buy much of this music in the shops and it is never played on the radio.
Boss of the PRS, Jeremy Fabinyi, who is doubtless paid more than the Prime Minister, has obviously been instructed by music labels and artists to squeeze everyone possible for more cash.
I for one can’t understand what is to be gained by applying this license on legitimate charity events, whether it be for Help for Heroes, Great Ormond Street, or anything else. The only outcomes are self justification for Jeremy Fabinyi and his team and more cash in the pockets of multimillonaire musicians, because lets face it, only popular tunes get played on the radio.
Maybe now the children will all go home and download tons of albums off the internet for free instead of attending their event…
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“Maybe now the children will all go home and download tons of albums off the internet for free instead of attending their event…”
Well said,and lets hope they do, another example of bad PR.
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btw I hope Nick Griffin gets in at Barking, I loathe Margaret Hodge who is typical NuLabour.
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Hear Hear I am not a BNP supporter but anything to cleanse this county of Labour.
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Well said TB, remove the odious Hodge with a 1000 litres of domestos, lol
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and apologies for all the recent swearing, I will try to desist from swearing in future.
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lol, you paedophile
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lol, nice one phil!
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This is a complete joke, I used to work in a supermarket and our manager once asked head office if we could play music in store and they said ‘not without an entertainment licence we are not prepared to pay for’. As far as I am concerned it is pure greed on the part of the music industry. Like recently much to my dismay Cliff Richard and other oldies won a battle to extend the copyright of their songs from 50 years to 70 years. Come on Cliff you have been getting the royalties for 5 decades already isn’t that enough considering you are filthy rich already. The music industry should be ashamed of themselves, they are heading the same way (god forbid) as football.
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True TB, probably already there, in the current recession soon to be depression do we see droves of pop stars and footballers, signing on???
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Do we hell, those greedy overpaid cunts are raking it in as always.
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exactly, so keep downloading those music files!!
torrents reign!
Hodge out, Griffin in 2010!
Marsden and Bumble out 2010!
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Hear hear
Marsden and Humble OUT 2010!!!
Blackburn and the rest of the Liebour Party OUT 2011!!!
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Nu labour = Nu reich!
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Right about Cliff “Plastic Christian” Richard.
I have more respect for Cat Stevens who is a mudslum, but is truer to his word.
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Very true; personally I would say Cat Stevens is a much better singer as well.
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Yes indeed, I loathe Cliff Richard, conceited and false, hes a bad advert for christianty.
I hate Islam as a religion but Cat Stevens isnt false and is sincere, which I do and can respect.
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Blackpool North could do with this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8364380.stm
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