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Music licensing in the UK

What PPL PRS actually costs a UK business in 2026

Playing music in a UK venue means paying for two rights at once. Here is the real combined cost for restaurants, shops, and gyms, taken line by line from the official 2026 tariffs. Every figure is the standard rate and excludes VAT.

One flat £4.99/month, music and licence included. Last verified June 2026.

Two rights, two bills

Why you pay two music fees, not one

Every recorded track carries two separate rights. TheMusicLicence bills both on one invoice, so your cost is simply the two tariffs added together.

PRS for Music

The song

Covers the composition and lyrics, on behalf of songwriters and publishers.

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PPL

The recording

Covers the actual recording, on behalf of performers and record labels.

Restaurants & cafés

What a restaurant pays

PRS charges by seats. PPL charges a flat fee up to 400 sqm. Figures assume background music through a CD or digital player.

Venue sizePRS for MusicPPLCombined / year
15 seats£346.08£204.19£550.27
30 seats£346.08£204.19£550.27
50 seats£461.43£204.19£665.62
Shops & stores

What a shop pays

Both bodies charge by audible floor area. PPL is a flat fee up to 600 sqm, PRS steps up in bands.

Floor areaPRS for MusicPPLCombined / year
Up to 50 sqm£246.80£204.19£450.99
Up to 100 sqm£246.80£204.19£450.99
Up to 200 sqm£359.90£204.19£564.09
Gyms & fitness studios

What a gym pays, twice over

Gyms pay twice over. Background music is charged by floor area, then every group class is charged again, with no upper limit.

Every fitness class is charged separately: £4.68 per class (PRS £2.38 + PPL £2.30), with no cap. Run 15 classes a week and that single line reaches £3,650 a year on its own, on top of the gym floor fee. Four classes a day costs more than licensing the entire gym floor.

ScenarioDetailApprox. per year
Small gym, no classesUp to 99 sqm£492/yr
Small gymUp to 99 sqm, 200 classes a year£1,428/yr
Small gymUp to 99 sqm, 500 classes a year£2,832/yr
Medium gym100 to 249 sqm, 500 classes a year£3,093/yr
Large gym250 to 649 sqm, 500 classes a year£3,415/yr
Large gym250 to 649 sqm, 1,000 classes a year£5,755/yr
The same music, one flat fee

Two tariffs, replaced by one price

Melodial owns its catalogue outright, so there is no PRS tariff, no PPL tariff, and nothing charged per seat, per square metre, or per class. Your venue plays fully licensed music for one fixed price, whatever your size and however many classes you run.

See plans & pricing →
£4.99 /month

One price, music and licence included. No VAT-style stacking and no annual tariff letter. A class-led gym paying PPL PRS can spend several thousand pounds a year once classes are counted. A flat monthly fee replaces all of it.

  • ✓No PRS tariff, no PPL tariff
  • ✓Nothing per seat, per sqm or per class
  • ✓Certificate of Compliance included
FAQ

Common questions

How much is a PPL PRS licence for a restaurant in 2026?
A 30-seat restaurant playing background music through a CD or digital player pays about £550 per year combined, made up of £346.08 to PRS and £204.19 to PPL, before VAT. A 50-seat restaurant pays about £666 per year.
How much does a music licence cost for a shop?
A shop with an audible area up to 100 sqm pays £450.99 per year combined, made up of £246.80 to PRS and £204.19 to PPL, before VAT. A shop up to 200 sqm pays £564.09 per year.
Why are there two music licence fees?
Every recorded track carries two separate rights. The song as written is covered by PRS for Music on behalf of songwriters and publishers. The actual recording is covered by PPL on behalf of performers and record labels. TheMusicLicence puts both on one invoice, but each body sets its own tariff, so your bill is the two added together.
How much does a gym with classes pay for music?
Licensing the gym floor alone is £492 per year up to 99 sqm, or £753 up to 249 sqm. Group exercise classes such as HIIT, spin and yoga are charged separately, at £4.68 per class combined, with no upper limit. A 200 sqm gym running 15 classes a week pays £4,404 per year once classes are added, and the class component alone is £3,650 of that. Four classes a day costs more than licensing the entire gym floor.
Are these fees annual, and do they include VAT?
The fees are annual and renew each year. All figures shown exclude VAT, which is added at 20 percent. The rates shown are the standard rate. A higher rate applies for the first year if a business is found playing music before getting a licence.
How these figures are calculated

Every total is the PRS for Music tariff plus the PPL tariff for the same use, added together as they appear on a single TheMusicLicence invoice. Figures are the standard rate and exclude VAT at 20 percent. A higher rate, standard plus 50 percent, applies for the first year where a business plays music before holding a licence, and is not used here.

Sources: PRS for Music Tariffs HR, RS and F&D (2026); PPL Tariffs PPLPP210 and PPLPP211 (2026) and PPLPP222 (Exercise to Music). Restaurant figures assume a CD or digital player. Rates are reviewed annually, so treat these as accurate indicative figures for 2026 and confirm any specific quote with PPL PRS. Last verified June 2026.

Stop paying two tariffs. Pay one flat fee.

Fully licensed background music for your UK venue, only £4.99/month. Music and licence included.

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