A new Specially Featured Entertainment Tariff to apply in the new year
2022
Music Licensing company Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) has made an announcement that a new Specially Featured Entertainment (SFE) Tariff will come into force from January 2023. PPL has agreed this new SFE tariff in consultation with trade bodies British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and UK Hospitality (UKH) in settlement of the Copyright Tribunal proceedings between the parties.
The SFE covers fees for recorded music in hospitality venues including nightclubs, pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels. The new fee is 88p for every hour of the event and every 1-25 people in attendance, with temporary discounts applying when the audience is over 300 people. The fees will also increase in direct proportion to the duration of the event, in 30-minute bands after the first hour. The changes to the tariff will be implemented gradually and won’t be fully phased in until 2030.
In a joint statement issued by the BBPA and UKH, trade bodies stated,
“We are pleased to have reached agreement with PPL on this new tariff and hope it will end uncertainty around costs for music licensing.”
But, added,
“At a time where our pubs, bars and nightclubs are under immense financial pressure, it is a shame fees have increased, but we welcome the longevity of the new structure and hope they will provide clarity in the longer-term for our members looking to play music in their venues.”
Full details of this new SFE tariff, including guidance notes on how the tariff will be applied, please visit the below website.