PRS for Music has announced that PRS members performing their own works in a small online ticketed concert can now obtain a free licence.
Listening to feedback from songwriter and composer members following the announcement of its small-scale Online Live Concert licence, PRS for Music has announced a new provision: if a PRS member wants to perform an online ticketed live concert exclusively of their own works, where they will receive all the royalties due, they can obtain a licence at no cost to them.
The free licence will be available to any individual concert, which qualifies for the small-scale licence, with revenues below £500, throughout the period the live sector is forced to close due to the Covid-19 crisis where the qualifying member is the performer.
“The MU welcomes this change which will help many musicians putting on small-scale online gigs while in-person live events aren’t possible,” said Naomi Pohl, MU deputy general secretary.
“We will continue to engage with PRS for Music on behalf of our members to ensure that any permanent tariffs for online gigs are appropriate and not prohibitive. Of course, we fully support songwriters and composers being remunerated for performance and broadcast of their works and we know their royalties have taken a hit during the current crisis.
“However, it is in the interests of everyone working in music for small online gigs to be facilitated and particularly where PRS members are performing their own works.”
Qualifying musicians can obtain a free PRS licence for small-scale online ticketed events by emailing applications@prsformusic.com.