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Please note that the following information on copyright is intended as a guide only. The information is not a comprehensive statement of the law and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
- What is the PRS for Music Licence for?
- Isn't my school covered by a Local Authority blanket licence?
- What is a PPL Licence?
- How can I tell if a piece of music is still in copyright?
- Do I have the right to show films for entertainment purposes?
- Everything we do is within the school day and therefore curricular!
- We make no charge for admission is a PRS for Music Licence still required?
- Is a PRS for Music Licence still required if it is only the pupils' parents present?
- Do we need a PRS for Music Licence for school assemblies?
- I want to put on a play/musical - am I covered by the PRS for Music Licence?
- Does the PRS for Music Licence cover the school to put on a Nativity play?
- Does the PRS for Music Licence cover us to perform 'hits from the shows'?
- Does the PRS for Music Licence cover the school to perform at other venues?
- Can I record a TV/radio programme and show it at school?
- What is an ERA Licence?
- What is a CCLI Licence?
- What is a CLA Licence?
What is the PRS for Music Licence for?
The licence covers the school’s premises for extra curricular use of music.
The extra curricular use of music can be split into two main areas:
Featured Musical Events
including, but not limited to, concerts, musical recitals, and student discos
Unlimited Use of Background Music
including, but not limited to, fêtes, telephone music on hold, dance or aerobic classes, radios, stereos or jukeboxes in pupil or staff common rooms, or perhaps in a canteen where music is played
The Licence also covers use by the school's Parent Teacher Association, who may put on a function (within the licensed premises) that uses music – dinner dances or discos, for example. It does NOT, however, cover the premises for musical or theatrical presentations organised by third party promoters.
Isn't my school covered by a Local Authority blanket licence?
The arrangement we have with most Local Authorities is to write to the schools in their area and ask them if they require a licence. We then bill the Local Authority centrally for the schools that requested inclusion.
To find out whether your Local Authority pays for your PRS for Music Licence, please contact us.
What is a PPL Licence?
Both licenses are required for playing pre-recorded music. The PRS for Music exists to protect the music composer's rights and collect royalties on their behalf, whereas the PPL is the collecting society for the performers and record companies such as Sony and EMI for example, who actually make the CD or tape.
PRS for Music Licence also covers live performances.
For more information, see the Phonographic Performance Ltd website. CEFM are also the collection agent for PPL as well as PRS for Music in the UK schools sector.
How can I tell if a piece of music is still in copyright?
If the composer, writer, arranger or editor of the music is still alive or died within the last 70 years the music will still be in copyright.
If the author of the words is still alive or died within the last 70 years then the words will still be in copyright.
If the edition was printed within the last 25 years then the edition is still in copyright.
Do I have the right to show films for entertainment purposes?
The PRS for Music Licence is required for any incidental music contained within a film's soundtrack. It DOES NOT however convey the right to show the film itself. Many film distributors will allow this activity under their Public Video Screening Licence.
Everything we do is within the school day and therefore curricular!
Just because music use happens in the school day does not necessarily make this a curricular usage. For example; playing some background music during a maths class is not required by the maths curriculum and therefore not exempt from copyright law.
We make no charge for admission is a PRS for Music licence still required?
There is no differentiation in copyright law if a charge is made or not. It is simply the fact that a composer’s piece of music is being used and therefore a PRS for Music Licence is required.
Is a PRS for Music Licence still required if it is only the pupils' parents present?
Parents are not exempted under copyright law just because their child attends the school and are therefore considered to be members of the public. This is defined in the Copyright Designs and Patents Act section 34 subsection 3.
Do we need a PRS for Music Licence for school assemblies?
School Assemblies are deemed to be part of the curriculum and so do not require a PRS for Music Licence.
However, if visitors (parents, for example) are present during an assembly, then it is deemed to be a public performance and your school will therefore require a PRS for Music Licence.
I want to put on a play/musical - am I covered by the PRS for Music Licence?
Any theatrical production, concert or event that portrays a story is regarded as a dramatic presentation. This can be done through using dramatic action, costume, scenery or narrative, for example musicals, compilation shows, plays, operas and ballets. These types of production are not covered by the PRS for Music Licence. Instead, the rights are controlled by the copyright owner. This is known as a Grand Right, and is where the owner or administrator of that production controls the right to perform it. You will have to negotiate a fee directly with them to perform their work.
The Music Publishers Association (MPA) should be able to help you determine a production's copyright owner. The MPA is in no way connected with the Centre for Education & Finance Management. Visit the MPA website ».
Does the PRS for Music Licence cover the school to put on a Nativity play?
This can be a complicated area depending on the form the 'Nativity Play' takes. Please contact us to discuss your individual requirements.
Does the PRS for Music Licence cover us to perform 'hits from the shows'?
Rather like a Nativity Play, each school's format for a performance will be different and whether you require a PRS for Music Licence in this case will depend upon a number of factors. Please contact us to discuss your individual requirements.
Does the PRS for Music Licence cover the school to perform at other venues?
No. Off-site performances are not included as the licence covers the school premises not the organisation.
The venue must hold a PRS for Music Licence if one is required.
Can I record a TV/radio programme and show it at school?
This is not a PRS for Music Licence issue so long as the recording is for educational purposes - i.e. curricular use. However, schools can record television programmes and BBC radio for educational purposes provided they hold an appropriate licence from the ERA. A separate licence is needed for Open University programmes. Note that the licence is for off-air recordings only, not for copying commercial video tapes.
For more information, see the ERA website. The ERA is in no way connected with the Centre for Education & Finance Management Ltd or the Performing Right Society.
What is an ERA Licence?
The licence from the ERA (Educational Recording Agency), amongst other things, allows a school to record, for educational purposes, tv and radio broadcasts.
For more information, see the ERA website. The ERA is in no way connected with the Centre for Education & Finance Management Ltd or the Performing Right Society.
What is a CCLI Licence?
The CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc) amongst other things, issue licences that allow schools to project hymn and worship song words using overhead acetate and/or store and retrieve those words from a computer.
For more information, see the CCLI website. The CCLI is in no way connected with the Centre for Education & Finance Management or the Performing Right Society.
What is a CLA Licence?
The CLA (Copyright Licensing Agency) licences organisations for photocopying and scanning. The CLA licenses the copying of extracts from books, journals and magazines protected by copyright and published in the UK and 17 other countries. The CLA licence does not cover song lyrics, music sheets or Ordnance Survey maps (the Music Publishers Association is responsible for sheet music).
For more information, see the CLA website. The CLA is in no way connected with the Centre for Education & Finance Management or the Performing Right Society.
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