Community radio

How much does a Community Radio Licence cost?

The fees payable under the joint licence for community radio are the greater of:

• the minimum annual fees; or
• a percentage of the advertising and sponsorship revenue that the station generates each year.

Details of the headline terms and applicable fees are available in the joint licence summary or in the full PPL and PRS for Music Joint Licence for Community Radio agreement.

Licence fees are calculated on the basis of a share of Net Broadcasting Revenue (NBR), subject to minimum annual fees. For full details of the fees that apply please refer to the joint licence summary.

Apply online for a joint licence for community radio. Once your licence is in place, payment can be made by Direct Debit, credit or debit card or by BACS.

Why is it a joint licence?

PPL and PRS for Music are committed to simplifying music licensing. Since 1 January 2017, we have offered a joint licence for community radio stations to replace each organisation’s individual, separate licences. We did this to reduce administration for stations, which would have previously required two separate licences.

What does the licence cover?

The licence grants the rights required for stations to broadcast and simulcast to listeners in the UK. Key rights include:

• The right to broadcast PPL and PRS for Music repertoire on AM/FM/small scale DAB community radio;
• The optional right to simulcast the AM/FM/small scale DAB broadcast online;
• The optional right to simulcast the AM/FM/small scale DAB broadcast by way of small scale DAB;
• The right to copy PPL and PRS for Music repertoire onto databases and servers for the purposes only of providing the AM/FM/small scale DAB broadcast (and, if applicable, internet simulcast service and/or small scale DAB simulcast service); and
• The right to play in public PPL and PRS for Music repertoire as included within the AM/FM/small scale DAB broadcast, internet simulcast service or small scale DAB simulcast service within the premises from which the broadcast originates.