PRS for Music changes its recently-announced rates for livestreaming concerts

By Emmanuel Legrand

Following a backlash from songwriters, performers and managers over its new livestreaming rates, British rights society PRS for Music has amended its original Online Live Concert license to offer a license at no cost to members who wants to perform an online ticketed live concert exclusively of their own works, where they will receive all the royalties due.

  "The free license will be available to any individual concert, which qualifies for the small-scale license, 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," said the society in a statement about a week after it announced its new livestreaming rates.

  The original plan called for online events staged in the UK with revenues below £500 to pay a fixed license fee of £45 plus VAT for events bringing in revenue of between £251 to £500, and of £22.50 for revenue below that.

Addressing the concerns of members

  PRS for Music said it "will not be seeking to historically license small-scale online concerts which took place throughout 2020. This means that any artist or venue which held a small online live concert will not have to obtain a license retrospectively."

  Michelle Escoffery, President of the PRS Members’ Council, said she hoped the change "addresses many of the concerns expressed to us over the last few days. PRS will continue to listen to the views of our members in these most difficult of times.”

  PRS for Music said it will be "accelerating its ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders on an interim rate, while the physical live sector is closed, for online concerts in the coming weeks. We are committed to agreeing a discounted rate for larger concerts as soon as possible to make these licenses available to the market."