what are the laws re playing radio in charity shop

shelovestobuystuff

Just started working in a new charity shop and they dont any music in the shop,not even radio.The one I worked in previously played the local radio station as they said this was the only thing we could play without having to pay for a music license.
I did google this and am getting mixed info and also a mention of a change in uk law as of jan 2012 but cannot find out what that change is exactly.
I want to know if I can have the local radio station playing in the charity shop I work in.
Just wondered if anyone knows what the laws currently are.

DCodd

shelovestobuystuff wrote: »

Just started working in a new charity shop and they dont any music in the shop,not even radio.The one I worked in previously played the local radio station as they said this was the only thing we could play without having to pay for a music license.
I did google this and am getting mixed info and also a mention of a change in uk law as of jan 2012 but cannot find out what that change is exactly.
I want to know if I can have the local radio station playing in the charity shop I work in.
Just wondered if anyone knows what the laws currently are.

As far as I know the law is still:

if you play a radio in a" public place", you need a PRS licence, unless it is a copyright free radio station.

If you play pre-recorded material in a "public place" you will also need a PPL licence, unless you have the permisssion of the copyright owner and the perfoming artists.

GRM

http://www.prsformusic.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PPS%20Tariffs/RS-2012-01%20Tariff.pdf

If the shop is less than 100 sq metres and has less than 5 staff then it looks like it'll cost £79 + VAT for a license for a portable radio.

shelovestobuystuff

Thanks.
The charity will choose not to have this expense so no local radio or anything else for us then.
Another thing I just read about is copyright free music.Does this mean that if I only play music over 70 years old and out of it's copyright period I dont need a license to play that in the shop.

paddyrg

Get licensed, it's not expensive and does support the artists (albeit a small amount!). Or find an internet radio station that plays royalty-free music (which can vary from fairly good to terrible - the great stuff isn't given away royalty-free) and be ready to demonstrate that you *only* play that station. Or enjoy yhe peace and quiet!

Perhaps as an alternative, you do a feature with the local press where you are searching for local musicians who want to showcase their original compositions and recordings in the shop for a week (and have the CD for sale, links on your website, etc). You loop their CD for a week and as long as they license you to play it (and it isn't cover versions, but original material), bonzer, everyone is a winner. Local press will love it too - real community heart story blah blah...

shelovestobuystuff

DCodd wrote: »

As far as I know the law is still:

if you play a radio in a" public place", you need a PRS licence, unless it is a copyright free radio station.

If you play pre-recorded material in a "public place" you will also need a PPL licence, unless you have the permisssion of the copyright owner and the perfoming artists.

Thanks,I didn't know they existed,will look into this.How can I prove I only play that station though?Would a bit of sellotape over the station selector knob do?

DCodd

shelovestobuystuff wrote: »

Thanks,I didn't know they existed,will look into this.How can I prove I only play that station though?Would a bit of sellotape over the station selector knob do?

Having a radio in the shop does not require a licence so anyone from PRS or PPL would have to witness you playing material that required a licence to make a claim against the shop. However the Charity may not want the hassle and as such could have a blanket ban on radios or music being played in their shops.

Paddrg's suggestion of local, unsigned talent using the shop as a showcase for their music is a good one and has worked well before but again the final decision would be the charity's. Also make sure they are not signed by a label before playing their stuff, especially if they have used any session musicians, as licences may still be required.

Edit to say - Age has little bearing on copyright as copyrights are usualy placed on the recordings.
http://www.shockwave-sound.com/Articles/010_Copyrights_in_Public_Domain_music.html

paulwf

Although I think a lot of the "market research" on the subject is rather exaggerated marketing hype it has to be said that in most cases appropriate music played at an appropriate volume is one of the best ways of enhancing the atmosphere in a shop. If it encourages shoppers to browse for longer and improves staff morale then spending £79 on it is a no brainer. There is nothing worse than going into a small shop and facing stone cold silence, it creates an atmosphere where you don't want to linger too long.

Retailers have to spend a small amount of money in order to generate extra sales. I do wonder if the person who has made the decision is really the best person to improve the profitability of the shop .

shelovestobuystuff

In the meantime I have removed the radio which the staff played in the sorting room.I am a real stickler for the rules.I have found a licence free online station especially for charities.I will ask the retail director to look into the possibility of trialing this for the shops.

nimbo

shelovestobuystuff wrote: »

In the meantime I have removed the radio which the staff played in the sorting room.I am a real stickler for the rules.I have found a licence free online station especially for charities.I will ask the retail director to look into the possibility of trialing this for the shops.

the back room wouldn't be a 'public space'...

LittleVoice

nimbo wrote: »

the back room wouldn't be a 'public space'...

I think you should check whether workplaces are included in the need for a licence even where no member of the general public is present. I believe they are, staff/volunteers being members of the public for this purpose.