Playing Taylor Swift in the office might actually be illegal

This summer, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour will return to the UK, and Swifties are blasting their favourite bops in preparation. But entrepreneurs may not be aware that playing a tune in the office could land them a hefty fine. In some cases, it may even result in prison sentences.

Under copyright laws, businesses must apply for TheMusicLicence to be able to legally play copyrighted music publicly. Even a small office of just four office workers is liable to be fined, and a licence would cost them over £120 a year.

Experts at Bionic, a comparison service for businesses, are now warning SME owners that playing their ‘Office Work’ playlist out loud could land them in hot water — and not just because their workforce is more into classic rock..

Bar fined £19,000 for unlicensed playlist

Fine amounts for not having a music licence vary depending on the size of the business, duration of non-compliance. Businesses may also ignore previous warnings, which can add up to a bank-busting amount that can put companies in the red.

High-profile cases include Socialite Bar in North London, which was fined a total sum of £19,000 back in 2015, after the owner refused to stop playing music in the property. He was also threatened with a 28-day prison sentence.

Meanwhile, a hotel in Devon was ordered to pay a significantly smaller settlement of £3,200 in fines for playing music without legal permission.

Music police in Scotland even tried to slap a four-figure fine on a 56-year-old shop assistant for singing to customers in 2012. Thankfully, the charges were later dropped.

Why do I need a music licence?

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 states that if a piece of music is played out loud, in front of an ‘audience’ (even if that audience is four slack-jawed office workers) then this counts as a public performance.

Paying for a music licence ensures that copyright holders (artists, composers, record labels) can be properly compensated for the use of their work. The types of businesses which will typically need a licence to play live or recorded music in public include:

• Shops and market stalls
• Offices and factories
• Hairdressers and beauty salons
• Restaurants and cafes
• Pubs, bars, and nightclubs
• Sports grounds and gyms
• Taxis and Uber cars

Another lesser-known fact is that, even if you purchase a music licence, you will not be able to legally play a Spotify or Apple Music playlist. Both are for personal use and non-commercial use.

Once you have purchased a licence, you will need to play music through the radio, a classic CD player, or a specialist, commercially-licenced streaming service.

How much does a music licence cost?

PPL PRS, a joint venture that acts as the UK’s music licensing company, has drawn up a table showing the estimated costs that an organisation must pay for TheMusicLicence.

Fees range depending on the industry, but a good rule is that the more ears listen to a song, the more you’ll pay.

Why pay for a music licence?

Given the huge number of insurance policies that business owners need to fork out for when setting up, a music licence might sound like a broken record.

Research suggests that listening to music at work could help employees to concentrate. It can be a fun, collaborative effort to curate a pitch perfect at-the-desk playlist; and to see the, eh-hem, eclectic music tastes of your colleagues.

It’s also, at an estimated £128 per year, a fairly cheap expense for the business that technically counts as an employee benefit.

With employers desperately seeking ways to entice remote workers back into the office, perhaps a chorus of Dolly Parton’s ‘9-5’ will do the trick.

Experts at Bionic are now warning that companies which were previously unaware about the music licence, and the fines associated, must face the music.