Performing rights (PRS) royalties tariff: 1 Nov 2023 – 31 Oct 2024

Making Music holds an umbrella license with PRS for Music that covers our member groups when performing in unlicensed venues. For further information on how our license works please see our full guidance. Never heard of PRS? Watch our introductory video What are PRS Fees?

2023 update to PRS fees

As of 1 September 2023, PRS changed the way fees are paid by leisure-time music groups - now there will be different rates depending on whether the event was ticketed or not. If your group performs a piece still in copyright (even if it's just one), then the due fee will be dependent on whether the event was free to attend or ticketed. Leisure-time music groups that fit the PRS' definition of an amateur music group (see below) also get a 50% discount on fees, which is now reflected in the tables below. For more information on this change, watch our PRS webinar.

'Amateurs means an individual or group operated by volunteers, whose performers are primarily unpaid. If a group earns ticket revenue, they may still be considered Amateur if the majority of revenue goes towards the running of the group (e.g. transportation costs, venue hire, score rental etc). Groups are still considered Amateur if they engage a small minority of professionals to assist with the group performances (e.g. hiring a conductor, substitute players in the event of illness) If an event is organised by a third-party promoter, it cannot be classified as Amateur.' - PRS

Hence, under this definition, if you are a promoter group or a performing group that pays their performers, you are not eligible for the 50% discount - however you can still pay your PRS fees through Making Music as per usual.

Paying royalty fees to PRS through Making Music

In November, we will send all Making Music Group representatives and Treasurers information on renewing the membership and insurance for their group as well as information on paying performing rights fees. With your renewal you'll either need to make payment to us for any PRS fees owed for the previous year, declare that you've made payment to PRS for Music by some other means, or declare that no PRS fees are owed.

If you are responsible for paying royalty fees and the event took place in an unlicenced venue between the dates 1 November 2023 - 31 October 2024 please pay based on the rates below. Rates include VAT at 20%.

Royalty fees tariff for 1 November 2023 - 31 October 2024

The following tables apply to music groups that fit the PRS definition of amateur, as outlined above:

Our event is ticketed, how much will our PRS fees be?

Under the new tariff, PRS fees for ticketed events are based on a percentage of the gross ticket income. Standard tariff is 6.5% of gross ticket income, but amateur music groups (as defined above) get a 50% discount for being part of the leisure-time music sector, so the fee will be 3.25% of gross ticket income for that event plus VAT. Please note that there is a minimum fee set at £32.49.

Sample calculation:

Event date	Gross ticket income	Amount due (3.25% of ticket income)
December 10th 2023	£624.00	£32.49
January 20th 2024	£1600.00	£52.00
February 14th 2024	£557.00	£32.49
February 23rd 2024	£1420.00	£46.15

	Subtotal	£163.13
	VAT	£32.63
	Total	£195.76

Our event is free to attend, how much will our PRS fees be?

Under the new tariff, PRS fees for non-ticketed events are based on the audience size. Amateur music groups (as defined above) get a 50% discount for being part of the leisure-time music sector. The table below outlines the updated rates, including the 50% discount and 20% VAT.

Attendance per event (persons admitted)	Prices for members
up to 50	£11.26
51 – 75	£16.88
76 – 100	£22.51
101 – 125	£28.14
126 – 150	£33.77
151 – 175	£39.40
176 – 200	£45.02
201 – 225	£50.65
226 – 250	£56.28
251 – 275	£61.91
276 – 300	£67.54
301 – 325	£73.16
326 – 350	£78.79
351 – 375	£84.42
376 – 400	£90.05
401 – 425	£95.68
426 – 450	£101.30
451 – 475	£106.93
476 – 500	£112.56
501 – 525	£118.19
526 - 550	£123.82
551 – 575	£129.44
576 – 600	£135.07
601 – 625	£140.70
626 – 650	£146.33
651 – 675	£151.96
676 – 700	£157.58
over 700	£163.21

PRS Tariff FAQs

For the ticketed tariff would the admin fee charged from ticket providers be included as gross income?

Gross ticket income refers to the amount paid by audience members to access your group’s event. Therefore, regardless of the breakdown of the ticket price – for instance some of the fee goes back to the group and the rest as an admin fee to the ticket provider - it would be the total amount of all tickets purchased.

As an example, if the audience pays £15 per ticket and you sell 100 tickets then the gross ticket income would be £1500 irrespective of how much of that fee goes back to the group and how much goes to a ticket provider.

We run a come and sing or come and play event where non-members pay to attend, and members get this included within their membership fee. Would this be classed as a free event or a ticketed event?

Assuming that music in copyright was used then in this scenario the event would need to be split between a free event and a ticketed event. The members and any other individual who did not pay to attend would fall under the non-ticketed tariff. Whereas non-members who did pay to attend would fall under the ticketed tariff.

As an example, if you had 40 members where attendance was included as part of their membership, and 30 non-members who paid to attend, then the 40 members would fall under the non-ticketed rate and the fee owed for this part of the event should be calculated based on having 40 people in the audience. The 30 non-members would fall under the ticketed tariff and the amount due would be based on the percentage of gross ticket income from those 30 non-members (either 6.5% or 3.25% dependent on whether the group is classed as amateur or not as per the PRS definition).

Audience members can pay a donation to attend our event. Would this be classed as a free or ticketed event?

As long as someone does not have pay to access the event, and they could attend for free if they chose to, then this would be classed as a donation and therefore a free event. If someone does have to pay at the door to attend the event at all and can’t access the event for free then this would be classed as a ticketed event.

We hope you find this Making Music resource useful. If you have any comments or suggestions about the guidance please contact us. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the content of this guidance is accurate and up to date, Making Music do not warrant, nor accept any liability or responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of the content, or for any loss which may arise from reliance on the information contained in it.

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Performing rights (PRS) royalties tariff: 1 Nov 2023 – 31 Oct 2024

2023 update to PRS fees

Paying royalty fees to PRS through Making Music

Royalty fees tariff for 1 November 2023 - 31 October 2024

PRS Tariff FAQs

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