Music licence for offices and workplaces: do you need one?
Music for staff counts as a public performance, even with no customers. Here’s what a workplace licence costs and how to keep it accurate.
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If you play radio or music where staff can hear it (in an office, warehouse, workshop or call centre) that counts as a public performance and generally needs TheMusicLicence, even though no customers are involved. Many businesses don’t realise workplace-only music is licensable, and equally, many that are licensed are paying on out-of-date staff numbers.
What drives the cost for an office?#
- For PRS for Music: how many staff can hear the music, and for how long each day.
- For PPL: the audible area of the working space, unless it’s a small workplace, which pays a flat fee.
- How music is played and across how many sites.
- Whether a first-year higher rate applies from previously unlicensed use.
What does it typically cost?#
For a small workplace, meaning four or fewer staff (or full-time equivalents) and music that customers and visitors can’t hear, both societies charge a flat fee. In 2026 that’s £68.13 a year to PRS for Music under Tariff ‘I’ (from 1 March 2026) and £72.46 a year to PPL under its small workplaces tariff (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027): £140.59 a year before VAT in total.
Once five or more staff can hear the music, both halves change. PRS for Music charges 13.30p a day for each half-hour of music for each unit of 25 employees (or part of one), with a minimum of £151.01 a year. Its own worked example, music for four hours a day on 250 days, audible to 115 employees, comes to £1,330.00 before VAT. PPL charges by audible area under its factories and offices tariff: £204.19 a year up to 600m², then £17.68 for each further 50m².
| Workplace | PRS for Music | PPL |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 staff, music not audible to customers | £68.13 flat (Tariff I) | £72.46 flat (PPLPP225) |
| 5 or more staff | 13.30p per half-hour per 25 employees per day, minimum £151.01 | £204.19 up to 600m², then £17.68 per extra 50m² (PPLPP212) |
Two things worth knowing. An office of 100m² or less that only plays traditional radio or TV broadcasts can qualify for PPL’s concessionary fee of 50% of the first-band fee. And if music was played before the licence was taken out, the first year is charged at the higher rate, standard plus 50%. Sources: PRS for Music Tariff I 2026 (PDF), PPL small workplaces tariff (PDF), PPL factories and offices tariff (PDF).
Where offices commonly overpay#
- Staff numbers that have fallen (through downsizing, hybrid working or fewer people on-site) but were never updated.
- A first-year higher rate carried past year one.
- Multiple sites billed on assumptions rather than actual headcounts.
If your team is smaller or more hybrid than when the licence was set up, you may well be overpaying. Send us the invoice and we’ll check it. One site? The free Invoice Check gives you a written verdict in five working days. Four or more sites? The estate review is free and we only charge if we recover money. See pricing.
- Do I need a music licence for my business? →
- How TheMusicLicence is calculated →
- How to reduce your music licence cost →
Common questions
- Do I need a licence to play music at work?
- Usually yes. If you play radio or music where staff can hear it, in an office, warehouse, workshop or call centre, that counts as a public performance and generally needs TheMusicLicence, even though no customers are involved.
- How much is a music licence for an office?
- A small office, factory or garage with four or fewer staff, where customers can't hear the music, pays a flat £140.59 a year before VAT in 2026: £68.13 to PRS for Music and £72.46 to PPL. With five or more staff, PRS for Music charges by staff numbers and hours, and PPL by the audible area.
- What drives the cost of a workplace music licence?
- On the PRS for Music side, how many staff can hear the music and for how long each day. On the PPL side, the audible area of the workspace, unless it's a small workplace paying a flat fee. A first-year higher rate can also apply if music was played before the licence was taken out.
- Where do offices commonly overpay for a music licence?
- Common issues are staff numbers that have fallen through downsizing or hybrid working but were never updated, a first-year higher rate carried past year one, and multiple sites billed on assumptions rather than actual headcounts.
Want it checked or set up properly?
- Already paying? Send your latest invoice for a free check and a plain-English answer within five working days.
- Four or more sites? A free estate check, site by site, with a clear summary of anything that's off.
- No licence yet? We tell you exactly what to declare and make the application for you.
Get told when the rates change
PPL and PRS re-index their tariffs every year. Leave your email and we'll let you know when the main rates change (January and July), with a reminder to check your invoice. Nothing else, and you can unsubscribe any time.
Related guides
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and MLC is an independent consultancy, not affiliated with PPL PRS Ltd, PRS for Music or PPL.