Music Venue Trust "warmly welcome" PRS' amended tariff for small-scale livestream shows

Last week saw leading music industry bodies hit out at PRS' new licence fee for ticketed livestream events of a certain size, with Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd calling it "disgraceful".

This afternoon, PRS for Music announced that they had "listened to the feedback" and will be "adding greater freedom for our members".

Small-scale livestream events will now be covered by a free licence, available "during the period the live sector is forced to remain closed, allowing them to hold a ticketed live event when performing their own works, where royalties are due only to them."

Music Venue Trust have since responded, saying they "warmly welcome this logical revision to the previously announced Tariff which has already seen hundreds of live events lost, costing performers and songwriters vital opportunities to generate desperately needed income during this crisis."

The statement continues, "The announcement of the Online Small Scale Tariff last week, without prior consultation or discussion, was ill conceived and poorly executed. It is good to see PRS for Music acknowledging their error by immediately removing this charge. We note that once again the statement is issued to press without consultation or discussion with the sector most impacted by it."

Music Venue Trust add, "A long term solution that ensures that songwriters whose work is performed in the grassroots sector are recognised and rewarded is achievable. It requires PRS for Music to enter into serious discussions in good faith, prepared to listen and prepared to consider evidence that can result in positive, forward facing solutions for all stakeholders. Grassroots music venues want to pay the right songwriters an appropriate fee for the use of their material. The creation of songs is the beating heart of what our sector is about. Let's work together to fix a broken system that recognises and rewards that."