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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AlBU

37 replies

James2002 · 26/10/2018 20:55

So l have a small hair salon and have always paid ppl and prs licence to play the radio as background music. This licence is now over £300 a year. I do understand royalties have a be paid but as a small business it's a lot. Or aibu

OP posts:
Racecardriver · 26/10/2018 20:57

Just make a playlist.

kaytee87 · 26/10/2018 20:58

Well what did it used to cost? Tbh music usually annoys me (unless I've chosen it) so I'd actually rather salons didn't play it. Maybe some of your clients feel the same?
I appreciate I'm pretty noise sensitive (or as my DH lovingly refers to me, a bloody weirdo)

Original poster
James2002 · 26/10/2018 21:06

Any music that is copyrighted has to have a license regardless of how it's played. I have found a white noise box that plays mood music that doesn't seem to be copyrighted but I'm not sure if this is ok as when I try and contact prs ppl they say they aren't taking calls at the moment. It's just for background music.

OP posts:
Original poster
James2002 · 26/10/2018 21:08

Sorry, it used to be £200,

OP posts:
Powerless · 26/10/2018 21:09

That's crazy

Calic0 · 26/10/2018 21:09

I would have thought it’s tax deductible..?

kaytee87 · 26/10/2018 21:10

That is a big jump op. I'd go with no music, salons are usually noisy with driers and chatting anyway, or as you said try to find uncopyrighted background music

catmum94 · 26/10/2018 21:11

You can get royalty free music online for a small price and you could make a playlist of that?

letsgetreadytosamba · 26/10/2018 21:15

How many chairs does your salon have? If it’s less than 10 the concessionary rate for a radio is £150.

Original poster
James2002 · 26/10/2018 21:16

Yes, l just wondered if anyone else with a small business had any ideas, I'm sometimes there on my own with clients so it's just nice to have a little background noise. Think I'll go with the mood music and hope for the best.

OP posts:
TheMobileSiteMadeMeSignup · 26/10/2018 21:16

Are all your staff self-employed? Could you charge them a little bit extra rent for their chair to cover the increase?

HighwayDragon1 · 26/10/2018 21:18

It used to be you could play it loudly so everyone can hear it in staff only areas, without having to pay anything?

Original poster
James2002 · 26/10/2018 21:24

It has 5 chairs, which they are aware of, the bill they have sent me is £283.75, but they have taken £23.89 off for an overlap of a month as the 2 licenses are now combined into one, so will be just over £300 normally. There are so many regulations on this it's difficult to know what you can do and what you can't.

OP posts:
letsgetreadytosamba · 26/10/2018 21:39

I take it there’s Vat in there too? It’s pretty hefty, white noise would annoy me in a salon - id use rain sounds or something else royalty free.

Original poster
James2002 · 26/10/2018 21:50

Yes that includes the vat, the white noise box I have plays mood music, it's not great but I only have it on quietly, l can't find anything on it to say it's copyrighted so think l will try it tmw and see what the clients think. I just wondered if anyone else had encountered this and what you all thought about it. Many thanks all.

OP posts:
marvellousnightforamooncup · 26/10/2018 22:00

Musicians have to earn money too you know.

Maelstrop · 26/10/2018 22:03

Google play? About £9 a month, I think.

ElainaElephant · 26/10/2018 22:09

Using Google Play if Spotify is anything like that also needs a licence.

I subscribe to ichill. £4 per month for as much royalty free music as I want, so no licence to pay. You can instead buy the mp3s/cds outright, no monthly fee. Its not the most exciting, but it might be worth checking out.

Www.ichillmusic.com

Original poster
James2002 · 26/10/2018 22:10

Marvellousnightforamooncup
Yes, l have already said that.

Maelstrop
Thank you, l will look into Google play.

OP posts:
Original poster
James2002 · 26/10/2018 22:12

ElianaElephant
That sound good, will have a look at that too

OP posts:
LtJudyHopps · 26/10/2018 22:13

What about Spotify? My hairdressers use that

The nail shop I used to visit just played YouTube all day.

Original poster
James2002 · 26/10/2018 22:17

I looked into spotify, but in order to play it in a business you need to subscribe to spotify business at £25 a month, but thank you.

OP posts:
ElainaElephant · 26/10/2018 22:18

Spotify/YouTube all need the license to be paid for too.

The only music that doesn't need a license is royalty free music.

BestZebbie · 27/10/2018 20:09

Can't you have the radio on?