Why do businesses overpay for TheMusicLicence?

Because it's priced on so many inputs, including premises size, usage type and hours, small mistakes quietly inflate bills. The most common issues are non-public space counted as audible area, the wrong usage category, licences never re-assessed after changes, a first-year higher rate carried forward incorrectly, and multi-site estates never compared against each other.

How much can an audible area error cost?

It depends on the band you're pushed into, but the steps are real money: on the PRS shops tariff the standard charge runs roughly £246.80 up to 100m², £359.90 for 101 to 200m² and £473.70 for 201 to 300m² (ex-VAT, 2026), before the PPL step. Storerooms, offices and staff-only areas wrongly included can push you up a band you don't belong in.

Should my licence still show the higher first-year rate?

No, not after the first year. Where music was played before licensing, PRS and PPL apply a standard-plus-50% rate, but only for the first year, reverting to standard after that. A bill still showing standard-plus-50% in year two or beyond is a clear, provable overcharge.

Can I get a refund for past overpayments?

Sometimes, yes. Every one of these errors is correctable, the licensing body will adjust your licence once the details are put right, and refunds are sometimes available for past overpayments. The quickest way to find out is to have your invoices checked.

Updated 18 July 2026 · 6 min read

5 ways businesses overpay for TheMusicLicence, and how to fix them

After auditing multi-site accounts, the same handful of overcharges come up again and again.

On this page

1. Non-public space counted as audible area
2. The wrong usage category
3. Licences never re-assessed
4. A first-year higher rate carried forward
5. Paying across sites without a portfolio view
How to fix it
Common questions

TheMusicLicence is priced on premises size, usage type, hours and more. Because there are so many inputs, small mistakes quietly inflate bills, often by hundreds or thousands of pounds a year across a multi-site estate. Here are the five we see most.

1. Non-public space counted as audible area#

Floor area is usually the biggest cost driver, and it's banded, so one band too high is real money. On the PRS shops tariff the standard charge steps roughly £246.80 (≤100m²) → £359.90 (101–200m²) → £473.70 (201–300m²), before the PPL step. Storerooms, offices, corridors and staff-only areas wrongly counted can push you up a band you don't belong in. (Figures ex-VAT, 2026, re-indexed annually.)

2. The wrong usage category#

Being billed for live entertainment, DJ nights or dance facilities when you only play background music is a common and expensive misclassification.

3. Licences never re-assessed#

Refits, downsizing, closed sites or a change in how you use music all affect the fee, but licences are often left untouched for years, so you keep paying against out-of-date details.

4. A first-year higher rate carried forward#

Where music was played before licensing, PRS charges a higher royalty rate, standard plus 50%, but for the first year only, reverting to standard after that (PPL applies a similar 50% surcharge). If your bill still shows standard-plus-50% in year two or beyond, that's a clear, provable overcharge, and one of the most common we find.

5. Paying across sites without a portfolio view#

Multi-site businesses rarely compare tariffs across their estate. The same error repeated across ten or fifteen sites is where the biggest recoveries usually hide.

How to fix it#

Every one of these is correctable: the licensing body will adjust your licence when the details are put right, and refunds are sometimes available for past overpayments. The quickest way to find out is to have your invoices checked. 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.

Common questions

Why do businesses overpay for TheMusicLicence?: Because it's priced on so many inputs, including premises size, usage type and hours, small mistakes quietly inflate bills. The most common issues are non-public space counted as audible area, the wrong usage category, licences never re-assessed after changes, a first-year higher rate carried forward incorrectly, and multi-site estates never compared against each other.
How much can an audible area error cost?: It depends on the band you're pushed into, but the steps are real money: on the PRS shops tariff the standard charge runs roughly £246.80 up to 100m², £359.90 for 101 to 200m² and £473.70 for 201 to 300m² (ex-VAT, 2026), before the PPL step. Storerooms, offices and staff-only areas wrongly included can push you up a band you don't belong in.
Should my licence still show the higher first-year rate?: No, not after the first year. Where music was played before licensing, PRS and PPL apply a standard-plus-50% rate, but only for the first year, reverting to standard after that. A bill still showing standard-plus-50% in year two or beyond is a clear, provable overcharge.
Can I get a refund for past overpayments?: Sometimes, yes. Every one of these errors is correctable, the licensing body will adjust your licence once the details are put right, and refunds are sometimes available for past overpayments. The quickest way to find out is to have your invoices checked.

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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.