It is encouraging to see PRS for Music respond to feedback from across the industry, particularly the grassroots live music community, regarding their online streaming tariff.
The new license, for artists performing their own work, is a step in the right direction but the £500 cap would still have taken much needed revenue away from venues receiving specific fund-raising efforts from artists like Frank Turner. And the revenue from a show isn’t known until after a show has taken place which makes securing the right license at the outset, impossible.
It is unclear if this new decision has been made after consultation with any other organisations within our sector. Our feeling is that it hasn’t, and is only in response to the online feedback, which shows PRS for Music still doesn’t feel engaging with its community is important and that must change immediately if collectively we are not to find ourselves here again.
The range and scale of online shows is still the only option for our community to engage with the public and the immediate loss of shows, paid work and effort for venues, artists and crew, particularly during IVW, has come at a very high cost for those impacted.
Listening isn’t enough, engaging with your stakeholders is the only way forward.
