Page 3 | Radios in a office

Pictures50 · 17/08/2025 22:41

I associate radios with shops, not professional offices. Have never come across it. Sounds very irritating.

Throwingitallaway24 · 17/08/2025 22:36

We have the radio on in our office to cope with a colleague who talks non stop all day long giving running commentary on what they are doing. I like the radio but a couple of members of staff will put their own headphones on instead. I don't think our radio is on loud enough to be heard down the phone.

OnTheBoardwalk · 17/08/2025 22:32

As Heaton sang 'and I love the PRS cheques that you bring'

hope your office is sending them

Pherian · 17/08/2025 22:18

Curlygirl06 · 17/08/2025 17:14

A charity shop near me has Greatest Hits Radio on all day, would they have to pay for a license? Never knew this, every day's a school day!

Charity is typically exempt.

Pherian · 17/08/2025 22:12

TalkToTheHand123 · 16/08/2025 21:03

Hi. Last few months I've been working from home but recently been told to return to the office.

Anyone struggle to concentrate in an office with a radio on? I feel terrible complaining / being a party pooper, but can't help losing my cool as it makes me go crazy. Does anyone else struggle?

If you’re in the U.K. they need a license to have TVs and radios on. If they don’t have one - they can face a fine. First they get a letter though.

It’s called “Themusiclicence” from PPL PRS.

You can go onto their website and go into the help section under other Inquiry and you can notify them of a business that might be playing a radio without a license.

GypsyQueeen · 17/08/2025 20:20

Years ago, we had a new woman start and on her first morning she asked that the radio be turned off.
We all hated her forever........

Portakalkedi · 17/08/2025 20:18

It's a terrible idea, nobody should be forced to listen to others choice of music etc. Those who want it should wear headphones, (although if I was a manager I'd be wondering how they could work like that).

MrsB74 · 17/08/2025 19:54

I found it really hard to concentrate with the radio on when I first started my current job. Now I don’t like it when the radio isn’t on! So much so that when I wfh, I now put my own radio on. We don’t have it on loud though. If it’s on too loud it drives me nuts.

BigPurpleBookQueen · 17/08/2025 19:29

30 plus years of office work & there has always been a radio wherever I have been, it’s never occurred to me that some offices don’t have this.

EsmaCannonball · 17/08/2025 19:14

You see, it would just make me more stressed. The noise just agitates and irritates me. Even the thought of trying to work in an office with a radio on makes me feel all tense. It would definitely make me less productive and my work less good than it might have been.

frecklejuice · 17/08/2025 19:13

I work in a pre school and the manager likes the radio on so I have the noise of 30 2-4 year olds and the radio, makes my head want to explode!!

beadystar · 17/08/2025 19:13

Hate it, can’t tune it out and it adds to the overstimulation of an open-plan office.

Justthethingsthatyoudointhisgarden · 17/08/2025 19:10

We all love the radio on in the background. Very stressful environment so it's nice to have it burbling away. When I'm alone in the office 'out of hours' I have radio 4 and it's bliss.

Sweetandsaltycaroline · 17/08/2025 17:59

Flomingho · 17/08/2025 17:32

I actually wish that we were allowed to play the radio in our office. I have never liked total silence, even when reading or studying I like a bit of background noise. Everyone is different though.

I still hear songs that remind me of revising for my GCSEs in my bedroom with radio 1 on!

Flomingho · 17/08/2025 17:32

I actually wish that we were allowed to play the radio in our office. I have never liked total silence, even when reading or studying I like a bit of background noise. Everyone is different though.

EsmaCannonball · 17/08/2025 17:28

I need absolute quiet to be able to work at my best. I've never understood how people can concentrate and think and work well with an inane noise blaring on. Thank god I work mostly from home these days.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 17/08/2025 17:27

The radio doesn't bother me, it's the awful out-of-tune singing that makes me want to throttle myself with the blind cords...

Turnedturnip · 17/08/2025 17:23

I’d rather hear the radio that the noise of everyone in the office on the phone. The noise is deafening.
In our open plan office is noisy anyway.
I’m envious of people working in quiet offices.

GenieGenealogy · 17/08/2025 17:20

Curlygirl06 · 17/08/2025 17:14

A charity shop near me has Greatest Hits Radio on all day, would they have to pay for a license? Never knew this, every day's a school day!

I volunteer in a charity shop (one of the big chains) and they play Radio 2. We have a licence. https://pplprs.co.uk/themusiclicence/sectors/shops-stores/

Shops & Stores

Music in shops and stores can help to enhance the atmosphere and create an environment people enjoy.

https://pplprs.co.uk/themusiclicence/sectors/shops-stores/

GenieGenealogy · 17/08/2025 17:19

I would hate it. I don't like listening to music and the vacant chatter of local radio DJs would drive me daft. I get that there are some situations you need to mask difficult conversations - our GP surgery has the radio playing so you can't hear what a GP is saying to a hard of hearing patient behind a closed door. Most offices aren't like that though.

taxidriver · 17/08/2025 17:18

we used to, when it was next to me and i could control the volume, to very quiet.
other radio stations i could not bare, and lately we moved into another office where they had the radio on, it was just awful.
since i am not in that office another colleague complained and so they now dont have the radio on.
if i want the radio on, i use headphones to hear it, on the pretext of not annoying others, but also because if i dont like a certain tune <<anything by take that and oasis>> i can mute it!

Curlygirl06 · 17/08/2025 17:14

A charity shop near me has Greatest Hits Radio on all day, would they have to pay for a license? Never knew this, every day's a school day!

Sweetandsaltycaroline · 17/08/2025 16:41

HisNibs · 17/08/2025 13:18

Using a radio in your office requires the business to pay for a PRS licence annually. The same is true for many other workplaces. For an idea of the costs...
Audible Area in Square Metres
1 - 600sqm = £195.40
601 - 650sqm = £212.32
and so on...
More details at: https://pplprs.co.uk/themusiclicence/sectors/offices-workplaces/

Maybe the bosses will get rid of the radio if they find out they have to pay for it to be on?

We had to start paying this about 10 years ago, but iirc it was then based on the number of people in a workspace rather than the area.

I much prefer to work with background music, which we do have most of the time. Occassionally others put on sport, or a station that is all debates/phone ins and i hate it!

Dangermoo · 17/08/2025 15:59

I'm with you. I find it particularly unprofessional, in offices, where clients visit the reception. I can't concentrate with background noise on.

Original poster

TalkToTheHand123 · 17/08/2025 13:56

HisNibs · 17/08/2025 13:18

Using a radio in your office requires the business to pay for a PRS licence annually. The same is true for many other workplaces. For an idea of the costs...
Audible Area in Square Metres
1 - 600sqm = £195.40
601 - 650sqm = £212.32
and so on...
More details at: https://pplprs.co.uk/themusiclicence/sectors/offices-workplaces/

Maybe the bosses will get rid of the radio if they find out they have to pay for it to be on?

I wished I'd known a couple of years ago. I'll save this as a plan b if I struggle to argue as I don't want to come across as a twistypoop.

OP posts: