Why your PPL PRS bill is so hard to check: 120+ tariffs, explained
One fee on the invoice; 120+ tariffs underneath. That gap is exactly why most bills can’t be sanity-checked at a glance.
On this page
TheMusicLicence looks like a single fee, but it’s built from a large library of separate tariffs. We index over 120 current editions across the three collecting societies: PPL, PRS for Music and VPL. That complexity is the single biggest reason most businesses genuinely can’t tell whether their bill is right.
The headline numbers#
- 121 current tariff editions across three societies (PPL, PRS for Music and VPL).
- Dozens of distinct business types (shops, pubs, hotels, gyms, salons, offices, nurseries and many more) each with its own rate schedule.
- Fees calculated from a mix of factors: audible floor area, seats, rooms, bedrooms, staff numbers, events and attendance.
Why this matters for your bill#
Your bill is at least one PPL tariff plus one PRS for Music tariff, summed together, and the two societies set their rates separately and re-index on different dates. A small misclassification (background music billed as a featured event, say) can move you onto an entirely different, more expensive tariff. With this many moving parts, errors are easy to make and hard to spot.
Where the errors cluster#
Across the audits we do, the same handful of issues recur: usage misclassified, audible area over-stated, a first-year higher rate carried forward past year one, and dormant or closed sites still being billed. None of them are obvious from the invoice alone.
See the real figures#
We publish the actual 2026 tariff figures (the combined shop cost, the underlying PPL and PRS band tables, and the full index with links to every official source) on our Tariffs page. It’s the reference we use ourselves. If you’d like your own bill checked against it, get your invoice checked, or book a Sanity Call. 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.
- How TheMusicLicence is calculated →
- 5 ways businesses overpay →
- How much does a business music licence cost? →
Common questions
- How many PPL PRS tariffs are there?
- Over 120. There are 121 current tariff editions across three societies, PPL, PRS for Music and VPL, covering dozens of distinct business types such as shops, pubs, hotels, gyms, salons, offices and nurseries, each with its own rate schedule.
- Why is my music licence bill so hard to check?
- Because it's built from a large library of separate tariffs rather than one simple fee. Your bill is at least one PPL tariff plus one PRS for Music tariff summed together, set separately and re-indexed on different dates, so a small misclassification can move you onto an entirely different, more expensive tariff.
- What kind of errors tend to appear most often on PPL PRS bills?
- The same handful recur across audits: usage misclassified, audible area over-stated, a first-year higher rate carried forward past year one, and dormant or closed sites still being billed. None of them are obvious from the invoice alone.
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.