Licence for digital DJs.

DJJD

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found on djmag.com

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After years of procrastinating, the UK’s broadcast royalties collection society, Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), have created a licence for DJs wishing to play digital music files in public.

The Digital DJ license costs £200 per year and legally allows DJs to make up to 20,000 digital recordings onto a laptop or a computer to play out in clubs and pubs.

However, the license only covers DJs that play directly off laptops or computers.

It does not cover those that burn legally downloaded music onto CD, and even those that own a PPL Digital DJ license still face prosecution if caught doing so.

Peter Leathem from PPL said: “Before this license it was technically illegal to play mp3s in a club, but this digital license finally allows DJs to play off laptops or computers.â€

“We will give DJs adequate time to purchase the license, and then will start regulating venues in the near future.â€

He continued: “We’re also in talks with many big pub and club chains, and many of them are keen to have only licensed digital DJs playing in their venues.â€

PPL’s Digital DJ license also allows DJs to keep back-ups of all their music files on a separate hard drive.

“This was something that we included in the scheme after having discussions with hundreds of professional DJs,†says Leathem.

“Originally, we were only going to allow 10,000 tracks to be downloaded per year with the license, but this has now been increased to 20,000 after many DJs suggested this figure was not high enough.â€

Many will point out that policing DJs that play digital downloads off CD will be difficult.

After all, DJs have been doing this for years.

In response Leathem said: “There was a real need to establish a legal framework in regards to playing digital music in public.

“This has now been done, and soon we will make spot checks at clubs, and prosecute any digital DJs who don’t have the license.â€

But how will PPL be able to tell if a digital music file has been legally, or illegally downloaded?

“Of course, this would be very difficult,†said Leathem.

“But we’ve given digital DJs a lifeline with this license, and we’re more concerned about those that continue to play digital music in public without it.â€

Currently, only a handful of sites are offering PPL’s Digital DJ license, but the scheme will be available across the UK soon.

One such site – digitaldj.co.uk – has been set-up specifically to cater for the growing numbers of jocks going digital.

James Hudson, Marketing Manager at digitaldj.co.uk, said: “This is one of the most important industry developments in recent years.â€

“Finally, digital DJs can play off their laptops without fear of being prosecuted.â€

Digitaldj.co.uk is offering the PPL license on its own for £200, but for an extra £50 per year, DJs can gain full access to their website, which carries news, reviews, and features specifically written for DJs that have made the digital transition.

www.ppluk.com

For a PPL license visit: www.digitaldj.co.uk
 
Technognome said:
“Before this license it was technically illegal to play mp3s in a club, but this digital license finally allows DJs to play off laptops or computers.â€

Unless of course they play their own music or use music not covered by the PPL

When i played (all my own stuff) at Strawberry Fair, last year and the year before, i was asked to fill in some crap form detailing what i was going to play, the track names, and the authors (something to do with PRS, or something similar).
If i didn't fill the form in, i couldn't play!!!

So i filled in the form, after deciding that i would play the following tracks, (all by me, of course).

1) F**k off you bureaucratic bastards.
2) It's all my own work.
3) What is it to you anyway?
4) Just whose rights are you protecting?
5) Get a life.
6) By the way, do i get anything for this?

What a load of complete cobblers!
 
If you'd have filled in that form giving the names of your own tracks, and putting the writer as you, you would have been entitled to a slice of the license fee that the venue had paid to legally be able to put on music in public. As you didn't fill in these details correctly, you are entitled to nothing.
 
yes, you have to assign the performance rights to the PRS first for them to make any collection on your behalf. (ie fill out the form, pay them a membership fee and then give them a percentage of all your royalties)
problem is of course how would make a collection of these royalties without the PRS??? the fact is you cant unless the venue/licensee contacts you directly to make an agreement of payment which is pretty unlikely given that the venue has already splashed out on a license with the PRS already and assumes that all artists should be on their member list anyhow.
dosent favour the 'independent' artist.
but without the PRS/MCPS there would be nobody collecting these monies and we probably wouldnt even be aware that these royalties are entitled to artists/writers. but they do make a good packet of course.
 
Well it certainly doesn't favour the 'independant' artists who can't be bothered to fill in a couple of forms and who begrudge the collecting agencies their fee! From what I know MCPS is a non-profit organisation, and it wouldn't surprise me if PRS was too.
 
so, what happens if i buy cds, backup onto my hard drive, lose the original and some day want to play them out off a computer e.g ableton live stylee, do i have to pay another £200 pounds for the priveledge?
 
do you have to join to play your own music that you have made? e.g a live set off a laptop
is it only officially released music or anything
are you a member colin, ott etc etc
im not convinced by this....
 
mr_faster said:
so, what happens if i buy cds, backup onto my hard drive, lose the original and some day want to play them out off a computer e.g ableton live stylee, do i have to pay another £200 pounds for the priveledge?

As I understand it the license would cover DJs using MP3s from a laptop, so I guess so. However I think the only people who will really bother to get a license are the high-profile professional DJs who a) can afford it and b) don't want the negative publicity that being caught without a license will generate. The chances of getting caught without one are infinitesimal, I think. I guess you'd also only need a license to play tracks you didn't already have performance rights for.

Perhaps one way to think of the license is analogous to the levy on blank CDs or casettes, although if this is the case it's up to the labels to join the relevant organisations and agencies in order to benefit from this - and then up to them again to pass any monies accrued on to the artists in appropriate proportions.
 
I'm a member of MCPS but not PRS, although I am considering joining. I haven't notified MCPS of my works for far too long now; we were considering doing it for the VoC album but there are apparently financial implications for small labels like Organic that make it difficult.
 
all sounds like bollox to me anyway, what if im spinning vinyl? im sure they tried to do this shit years ago and it never worked (making them pay royalties) they're just getting jumpy coz they cant stop people downloading free stuff. i have heard they already do this to the more conventional dj, ie "Dereks Mobile Disco" etc etc. I know one company that doesnt let the dj use anything other than original cd's due to random checks. we ARE talking Abba and Village People though.

thing is, last set i did someone asked me what track i just played and i couldnt remember as there were 2 on the same side, dont actually know what im gonna play, i just pick em out as i go along, i mean, if you have a list you may as well go along with yer "Heres One I Made Earlier ReadyMix" (tm)

the more worrying question is what were you doing on djmag.com?
 
silky said:
all sounds like bollox to me anyway, what if im spinning vinyl?

If you're playing off vinyl then this thread is irrelevant to you as it's about DJs playing MP3 or other downloaded formats from a computer :Wink3:
 
Course your still supposed to fill out a form and the venue pay a licence if your playing from vinyl or CD - otherwise it's infringment of copyright.

Just cos you buy a track does not entitle you to play it in public!

PHLUR :sun:
 
Colin OOOD said:
From what I know MCPS is a non-profit organisation, and it wouldn't surprise me if PRS was too.

yes you are right there colin the PRS, MCPS and PPL are non-profit making organisations.

mr_faster said:
so, what happens if i buy cds, backup onto my hard drive, lose the original and some day want to play them out off a computer e.g ableton live stylee, do i have to pay another £200 pounds for the priveledge?

actually its illegal to use any copies for commercial use. as downloaded mp3s are in essence all 'copies' the digital dj license has been created to allow djs to play these copies.

mr_faster said:
do you have to join to play your own music that you have made?

you join the prs so that you are entilted to a cut when your music is played/broadcasted/performed for commercial purposes.
eg. a landlord has a pub and he wants to have music in his pub be it bands/jukebox/dj to enhance the atmosphere which in turn generates more business for him.
now the artists' deserves a share of the landlords extra revenue gained from using the artists' material in his pub....its only fair.
the same goes for music used on TV, in the supermarket, in the rollerdisco, hairdressers etc. all using music to enhance their business.
licenses have to be bought by these businesses (and now 'digital djs' too) from the prs and ppl from which they distribute 'royalties' to their members.

Colin OOOD said:
I'm a member of MCPS but not PRS, although I am considering joining. I haven't notified MCPS of my works for far too long now; we were considering doing it for the VoC album but there are apparently financial implications for small labels like Organic that make it difficult.

then get organic to make an exemption from the exclusivity of rights so that you can retain publishing and broadcast rights, at least!....sheesh.... if i knew they werent members of any of the collection agencies i would have done the same.
but perhaps you're right, the price of membership for record labels is higher and maybe not economical for a label like organic....
 
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