Putting on a show

 

Introduction

Many factors can influence a show or venue’s potential need for a music licence. The information on this page describes the various licensing elements Fringe companies should be aware of. 

Please note: this information applies only to music licensing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Many elements apply outside the Fringe, but the arrangement we have in place with PPL PRS Ltd is specific to the Fringe. You shouldn’t apply this guidance to any events that are not registered with the Fringe Society.

Music licensing at the Fringe

Each year we negotiate an arrangement with PPL PRS Ltd, the UK’s music licensing organisation. The deal ensures all Fringe companies and venues are appropriately licensed for the events they’re hosting. 

It also simplifies the music licensing process for Fringe companies and sets out a tariff of music licence fees. This tariff is at a reduced rate compared to the tariff you’d pay for the same events outside of the Fringe. 

The deal is also a blanket licensing arrangement; this means no direct permission is required from any rightsholder for the use of musical compositions or recordings within the repertoire of PRS, PPL or any of their affiliate licensing bodies around the world.
We collect music licensing information via the PPL PRS declaration form.

This information helps us calculate any licence fees you need to pay to cover your show’s music use; we then automatically deduct this from your Fringe Box Office payout. 
 

Music licensing for online shows

If you register an online show with us and indicate in your show registration form that a music licence may be needed, you will need to fill in a PPL PRS declaration form to confirm the details of the music that appears in your show.

This page will be updated when the PPL PRS declaration form for online shows in 2023 is available.

If you don’t submit this online form but have indicated in your show registration that you may need a music licence, we’ll automatically deduct 4% of your box office takings from your payout to account for any undeclared use of licensed music.

As with in-person shows, if you are using music that has been registered with PRS or a PRS-affiliated licensing body, then a PRS fee will likely be due. If the source of the music is a recording as opposed to an in-show performance, a PPL fee will also likely be due unless the recording is royalty free, out of copyright or has been created specifically for the show. The difference between PRS and PPL is explained in more detail below.

Please note, any in copyright music or recordings used in your show should be included in your declaration form. While incidental music and other forms of background music are covered by a venue licence for in-person shows, this music will need to declared and will factor into the PRS and/or PPL fee for online events. 

Companies doing both online and in-person performances of a show should submit a form for their online show, in addition to the form submitted for their in-person performances.

PRS rate for online shows

The 2023 tariff will be updated here once it is confirmed, for reference take a look at the 2022 tariff below.

For online shows that are not in the genre of music, the PRS fee is a variable rate which is proportionate to the ‘music density’ in your show. If you are using in copyright musical compositions for the entirety of the duration of your show, the PRS charge for this will be 15% of your ticket revenue. This top rate would only apply to a show that played in copyright music without any gaps for the entire duration of the show. For shows using less music, the 15% is reduced in proportion to the percentage of the duration of your show that features music. Some examples are below, using 1 hour as an example show length:

Tariff of PRS fees for online shows that took place at the 2022 Fringe.

Duration of show*	Total duration of PRS music	Music density of show	PRS fee
1 hour	5 minutes	8.33%	1.25%
1 hour	10 minutes	16.67%	2.5%
1 hour	30 minutes	50%	7.5%
1 hour	45 minutes	75%	11.25%
1 hour	1 hour	100%	15%

* The duration of your show indicated in your show registration form will be used in these calculations.

Music shows – For music show which feature in copyright PRS registered music, a flat rate of 10% will be applied, in line with the Online Live Concert tariff operated by PRS. This will prevent the higher rate of 15% being applied. The variable rate will however still apply to classical music performances.

A minima of 3p per track/per ticket sold will apply to the above fees. 

We appreciate these fees are higher than the equivalent fees for in-person shows. The fees are higher due to the incorporation of additional copyright aspects in an online space – namely the synchronisation and mechanical rights. The above rates where the most favourable for Fringe artists offered by PRS. If you have any concerns please let us know on [email protected].

PPL for online shows

The 2023 tariffs will be updated on this page once they have been confirmed. You can find the 2022 tariffs below for reference.

In 2022 we arranged a deal with PPL whereby the tariff of fees applying to in-person shows also applies to shows taking place online. The 2022 PPL fee structure is listed below.

The difference between PPL and PRS

In 2018 the Performing Rights Society for Music (PRS for Music, or PRS) and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) merged to form PPL PRS Ltd. Despite this merger, the two organisations still collect licence fees covering two different kinds of music rights. If you’re using music in your Fringe show, you may be required to pay a music licence fee to cover you for one, or both, of these licensing areas.

PRS fees relate to the use of musical compositions. These fees are distributed as royalties to composers who have registered their compositions with PRS or an affiliated performing rights organisation such as APRA in Australia or ASCAP in the US.

PPL fees relate to the use of specific musical recordings. These fees are distributed as royalties to the rightsholders of that recording, such as record labels and the musicians who played on the recording in question. As with PRS, PPL can collect fees on behalf of affiliate organisations around the world. 

So, if in your show you play a live cover of Yellow Submarine by the Beatles, only a PRS licence would be required. If in your show you dance to the recording of Yellow Submarine that features on the Beatles’ album Revolver, both a PRS and a PPL licence would be required.

Paying a PRS fee will not affect whether you need to pay a PPL fee. Likewise, paying a PPL fee does not affect your potential need to pay a PRS fee. You may need to pay one, both or neither of these fees; regardless, you’ll still need to complete a PPL PRS declaration form.

Example licensing scenarios

We’ve put together some examples that demonstrate where PRS and PPL fees apply and where they do not.

Scenario 1: A show features chart music that is danced to by the performers on stage. The music is a commercial recording being played through a laptop.

• PRS ✓ – The vast majority of chart releases are compositions that are in copyright and will have been registered with PRS or an affiliated music licensing body. Unless you know that is not the case for the pieces of music being used, which would be unusual, PRS would apply here.
• PPL ✓ – PPL will apply to this music use. In the vast majority of cases, chart music recordings will have been registered with PPL or an affiliate.

Scenario 2: A show features a musician playing live covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen.

• PRS ✓ – As the compositions are in copyright and will have been registered with a PRS-affiliated rights body, PRS fees will apply.
• PPL X – As no recorded music is used, there’s no need to pay a PPL fee.

Scenario 3: A show features a sequence in which performers dance to a recording of a Beethoven piece. The recording was released recently and not made by anyone known to the company staging the show.

• PRS X – As Beethoven’s compositions are no longer in copyright, PRS fees do not apply.
• PPL ✓ – Though the compositions themselves are out of copyright, the recording has been recently released and was not created specifically for the show, so PPL fees are required.

Scenario 4: A show features a recording of a Beyoncé song that has been made by a company member specifically for the show and is referenced on stage by a performer.

• PRS ✓ – Though the recording has been made in-company, rights still apply to the original composition, so a PRS fee will be due.
• PPL X – As long as the company member’s recording has not been registered with PPL or an affiliate, a fee would not be required. There are still rights connected to the recording, however, so the company should have a defined arrangement around its use with the company member who made it.

Scenario 5: A show features original music that was written and recorded specifically for the show.

• PRS X – As long as the compositions haven’t been registered with PRS or an affiliate, no fee is required. 
• PPL X – As long as the recordings haven’t been registered with PPL or an affiliate, no fee is required.

When is a music licence not required?

In the following situations, a show would not need to pay a music licensing fee. However, even if your show’s music use falls under any of these categories, you’ll still need to fill in the declaration form.

• The music is featured in a free show.
• No music is used in the show.
• The only music used in the show is:
  • background music – music played in the space or venue before or after the show.
  • incidental music – music that is not danced to, referenced, performed in any way or ‘heard’ by a character on stage.
  • curtain music – music as the curtain rises or falls during the show.
  • scene-change music – music between scenes when no performance is taking place.
    This kind of music use is covered by a venue-level Background Music Licence. Venues can purchase temporary background music licences from the Fringe Society if the premises aren’t covered by an annual licence.
• Walk-on / walk-off music does not require a PRS fee but can require a PPL fee.
• When the music is out of copyright.
  • PRS – musical compositions go out of copyright 70 years after the calendar year of the composer’s death.
  • PPL – a recording of a piece of music goes out of copyright 70 years after its release.
  • The copyright status of a composition is unaffected by the copyright status of the recording it’s featured on, and vice versa.
• When the music has not been registered with PRS, PPL or an affiliated licensing body.
  • You’ll generally know this is the case because you’ll personally know the composer / rightsholder, or you’ll have purchased or acquired the music from a source that explicitly states no royalties are required for its use.
  • If you don’t know whether a musical composition or recording has been registered with PRS or PPL, you should assume that it has.
  • Copyright still applies to music that has not been registered with PRS or PPL; you’ll need to come to an arrangement with the rightsholder directly if this hasn’t already been stated.
• When your music use falls under Grand Rights. This is when you’re performing an existing dramatic or musical work that includes in-copyright music, but your licence to use that music is contained within the larger licence to perform the show itself. For example, if you have the rights to perform the musical Singin’ in the Rain, you’ll automatically have the right to perform the song Singin’ in the Rain in the context of that show.

Paying your PPL and PRS fees

When a show is required to pay a PRS and / or PPL fee, we calculate it using the information on the declaration form. We automatically deduct these fees from a show’s Fringe Box Office payout.

This page will be updated once the PPL PRS Music Licensing Declaration form for Fringe 2023 is available

We calculate the PRS fee as a percentage of total ticket sales. This means that, if you’ve been selling tickets directly or through your venue, we’ll be in touch with you or your venue to confirm details of all sales made outside the Fringe Box Office, so we can ensure the fee is accurate. If you don’t submit a PRS declaration form but have indicated during registration that you may require a PRS licence, you’ll be charged a default fee at the highest rate (see tariff, below). If you or your venue don’t supply sales information, we’ll calculate fees on the assumption that all tickets not available through the Fringe Box Office have been sold.

PRS Tariff

The 2023 tariff will be updated here once it is confirmed, for reference take a look at the 2022 tariff below.

Tariff of PRS fees for in-person shows that took place at the 2022 Fringe.

Type of show	Music use	Charge
Any show including free shows, with capacity of 1,000 or more	Any	These events must be licensed directly by PRS for Music. Please call direct on 0800 068 4828 to arrange a licence.
Free show, with capacity of less than 1,000	Any	PRS for Music will make no charge for music played at these events, in exchange for advertising of PRS for Music’s support. This advertising will be the responsibility of the Fringe Society and Fringe venues. Shows are still required to submit a PRS for Music declaration through the Fringe Society form.
Other shows, with capacity of less than 1,000	Shows using only incidental, curtain music and music during scene changes	PRS for Music will not make a separate charge for these, assuming a background music licence is in place for the premises. Shows are still required to submit a PRS for Music declaration through the Fringe Society form.
	2 mins or less	PRS for Music will make no charge for music played at these events, in exchange for advertising of PRS for Music’s support. This advertising will be the responsibility of the Fringe Society and Fringe venues. Shows are still required to submit a PRS for Music declaration through the Fringe Society form.
	Over 2 and no more than 15 mins	0.5% of total ticket receipts. Please submit a PRS for Music declaration through the Fringe Society form.
	Over 15 and no more than 30 mins	1.5% of total ticket receipts. Please submit a PRS for Music declaration through the Fringe Society form.
	Over 30 mins	4% of total ticket receipts. Please submit a PRS for Music declaration through the Fringe Society form.
Music show, with a capacity of less than 1,000	Any	4% of total ticket receipts. Please submit a PRS for Music declaration through the Fringe Society form.

 

PPL Tariff

The 2023 tariff will be updated here once it is confirmed, for reference take a look at the 2022 tariff below.

Tariff of PPL fees for in-person shows that took place at the 2022 Fringe.

Part	Type of show	Music use	Charge	Details of music to be provided?
A	Music show with a capacity of less than 1,000	Any recorded music	1.0% of receipts	Yes
	Shows using less than two minutes of music	Walk on and off music only	0.5% of receipts	Yes
	Variety shows (cabaret, comedy etc) with capacity of less than 1,000	Any	1.5% of receipts	Yes
		75% running time of show or less	0–25% of running time – 0.5% 25–50% of running time – 0.75% 50–75% of running time – 1.0%	Yes
	Theatrical presentations	Incidental music	£0.50 (flat rate charge)	No
		Interpolated music	1.0% of receipts	Yes
B	Free show, no charge made for admission, capacity of less than 1000	Any	PPL will make no charge for music played at these events	No
C	Any show with capacity of 1,000 or more	Any	These events must be licensed directly by PPL PRS – call them on 0800 0720 808	As per the terms of any licence issued
D	Other show with capacity of 1,000 or more	Background music only	No charge to performing company	No

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