4 ms·

Confused. Do restaurants have to pay to play songs?

by majos 8y ago

gowld 8y ago
Yes, because they are playing for a large audience, which isn't covered by the licenses that you use at home.
- TimTheTinker 8y ago
  It’s not about whether the audience is large or small. Performance rights are about whether it’s public or private and the venue is paid or free. For private use where those present are by invitation only and haven’t paid to be there, I don’t think any further license is necessary, beyond simply owning a copy of the work to be performed. (IANAL; correct me if I’m wrong.)
  - pastage 8y ago
    If you are a group of people reading a book and discussing it in an organized manner you are supposed to pay royalties for it. (Source, I've gotten such money from Sweden)
    - TimTheTinker 8y ago
      Sounds like a good reason to stick to classics in such groups. Seriously, if I knew about such a stipulation, I'd be incentivized not to buy copyrighted books to read for a book club in the first place. I'm really glad there is a corpus of public domain works; so much good is possible (or positively incentivized) because of it. Too bad it isn't growing much (e.g. Steamboat Willie is still, still under copyright restrictions nearly 100 years later).
toomanybeersies 8y ago
Yes, legally restaurants have seperate licensing requirements and can't just use Spotify for their music. In reality, most small restaurants and cafes just use Spotify. Bars and larger restaurants tend to be a bit more fastidious in getting the correct rights.
- SyneRyder 8y ago
  >In reality, most small restaurants and cafes just use Spotify. I've even been to cafes where every few songs were interrupted by an ad about the benefits of upgrading to Spotify Premium....
- soundwave106 8y ago
  Yes, this is because, a small restaurant can use just Spotify or another music service and not have to pay the license fee. This doesn't apply to larger establishments. (https://www.restaurant.org/Manage-My-Restaurant/Operations/Regulatory-back-office/11-questions-about-music-licensing https://www.restaurant.org/Manage-My-Restaurant/Operations/R...)
  - soundwave106 8y ago
    Now that's a funny drive-by down-vote. Normally (rant mode on) it is my opinion that most drive-by down-votes are by lazy cowards who think someone's opinion is wrong, but is unwilling to debate (probably because their counter-argument is rather weak, honestly). Too much of this and you get the atypical "mob mentality" typical on most social media networks -- most of which have become intellectual wastelands, replaced by feel-good quick-dopamine-hit memes all focusing on whatever "side" the social media collective has embraced. (Counter-narratives and counter-opinions, beware.) But this doesn't quite fit the usual pattern. In this case, I must have misinterpreted something, perhaps. But someone is not willing to say what is incorrect. Interesting! Because, the alternate view is that I'm absolutely right, and the downvoter just had a weird beef with Spotify or restaurant.org. Hard to tell. It's a social media downvote after all.
Steve44 8y ago
In the UK you have to pay for a PRS licence and also a PPL licence. We pay about £500 a year in licencing to legally play a radio in the warehouse. https://www.gov.uk/licences-to-play-background-music https://www.gov.uk/licences-to-play-background-music > A PRS for Music licence also allows you to play live music on your premises (such as in a pub, restaurant or nightclub). > PRS for Music collects and distributes money for the use of the musical composition and lyrics on behalf of authors, songwriters, composers and publishers.

Confused. Do restaurants have to pay to play songs?

by majos 8y ago

Confused. Do restaurants have to pay to play songs?

gowld 8y ago

Yes, because they are playing for a large audience, which isn't covered by the licenses that you use at home.

TimTheTinker 8y ago
It’s not about whether the audience is large or small. Performance rights are about whether it’s public or private and the venue is paid or free. For private use where those present are by invitation only and haven’t paid to be there, I don’t think any further license is necessary, beyond simply owning a copy of the work to be performed. (IANAL; correct me if I’m wrong.)
- pastage 8y ago
  If you are a group of people reading a book and discussing it in an organized manner you are supposed to pay royalties for it. (Source, I've gotten such money from Sweden)
  - TimTheTinker 8y ago
    Sounds like a good reason to stick to classics in such groups. Seriously, if I knew about such a stipulation, I'd be incentivized not to buy copyrighted books to read for a book club in the first place. I'm really glad there is a corpus of public domain works; so much good is possible (or positively incentivized) because of it. Too bad it isn't growing much (e.g. Steamboat Willie is still, still under copyright restrictions nearly 100 years later).

toomanybeersies 8y ago

Yes, legally restaurants have seperate licensing requirements and can't just use Spotify for their music. In reality, most small restaurants and cafes just use Spotify. Bars and larger restaurants tend to be a bit more fastidious in getting the correct rights.

SyneRyder 8y ago
>In reality, most small restaurants and cafes just use Spotify. I've even been to cafes where every few songs were interrupted by an ad about the benefits of upgrading to Spotify Premium....
soundwave106 8y ago
Yes, this is because, a small restaurant can use just Spotify or another music service and not have to pay the license fee. This doesn't apply to larger establishments. (https://www.restaurant.org/Manage-My-Restaurant/Operations/Regulatory-back-office/11-questions-about-music-licensing https://www.restaurant.org/Manage-My-Restaurant/Operations/R...)
- soundwave106 8y ago
  Now that's a funny drive-by down-vote. Normally (rant mode on) it is my opinion that most drive-by down-votes are by lazy cowards who think someone's opinion is wrong, but is unwilling to debate (probably because their counter-argument is rather weak, honestly). Too much of this and you get the atypical "mob mentality" typical on most social media networks -- most of which have become intellectual wastelands, replaced by feel-good quick-dopamine-hit memes all focusing on whatever "side" the social media collective has embraced. (Counter-narratives and counter-opinions, beware.) But this doesn't quite fit the usual pattern. In this case, I must have misinterpreted something, perhaps. But someone is not willing to say what is incorrect. Interesting! Because, the alternate view is that I'm absolutely right, and the downvoter just had a weird beef with Spotify or restaurant.org. Hard to tell. It's a social media downvote after all.

Steve44 8y ago

In the UK you have to pay for a PRS licence and also a PPL licence. We pay about £500 a year in licencing to legally play a radio in the warehouse. https://www.gov.uk/licences-to-play-background-music https://www.gov.uk/licences-to-play-background-music > A PRS for Music licence also allows you to play live music on your premises (such as in a pub, restaurant or nightclub). > PRS for Music collects and distributes money for the use of the musical composition and lyrics on behalf of authors, songwriters, composers and publishers.