In December, UK collecting society PRS for Music’s proposed tariff for livestreamed concerts drew an angry response from manager and artist bodies MMF and FAC, claiming that it would make livestreams “unviable” for artists of all sizes.
Yesterday, PRS launched its new ‘Online Live Concert‘ licence for small events – those earning less than £500 in revenue – with fixed licence fees to cover rights. It’ll cost £22.50 + VAT for an event earning less than £250, and £45 for those earning between £251 and £500.
A few hours after it launched, the MMF and FAC issued an unimpressed statement, claiming that the new licence was revealed “with no prior warning and without consultation with artists or their representatives”. They added that at its lowest, the new rate is still more than double the standard 4.2% of overall revenue taken from small venue live shows. It’s clear all parties need to sit down together (well, remotely) to thrash this out properly.
There’s something else in PRS for Music’s announcement that is worth mentioning. “PRS for Music is proactively in discussion with other societies to deliver licensing solutions for UK based gigs and concerts which might be accessed internationally,” said the society. “A global blanket licence of this type would be the first of its kind within the collecting society network.” That would be interesting, but hopefully will also be developed with the full involvement of the bodies representing artists, managers and venues.
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