BEWARE - YOU COULD BE HELPING YOUR DJ TO BREAK THE LAW!
It is very important to ask if the DJ has a PPL licence if using a computer to play music at your party!
What is PPL?
The PPL is a music industry organisation who collects and distributes airplay and public performance royalties in the UK on behalf of over 3500 record companies and 47000 performers. Record companies have various rights in their sound recordings. Some of these rights are transferred to Phonographic Performance Limited ("PPL"), enabling members of the public to obtain licences from one source rather than having to contact all the different record companies. PPL's rights include the right to perform a sound recording in public, the right to broadcast a sound recording and the right to copy a sound recording for subsequent use in public performances or broadcasts. The Promoter is responsible for the public performance licences and should account for royalties to the PPL. If however, the guests have paid admission, it's classed as a public event.
Why does your Disco or Karaoke owner need a Digital DJ Licence?
Under UK law it is necessary to obtain the permission of the owner of copyright in a sound recording if you copy that sound recording. If a copy of a sound recording is made in order to play that sound recording in public, PPL controls the relevant copying rights and so can grant you a licence to ensure that your copies comply with the law.
Why do they need an extra licence if they have obtained the tracks lawfully?
When you purchase a vinyl record, tape or CD you only can use that record for domestic purposes. You do not acquire any rights to copy that record, or to play that record in public. So if you want to copy a sound recording on that record onto your computer, you must obtain the permission of the owner of the copyright in that sound recording. The position in respect of lawful downloads is very similar, save that you are given a limited right to keep a copy of the downloaded sound recording for your domestic listening. If you want to keep that copy for other purposes, then the law requires you to obtain the permission of the copyright owner.
What is a DJ Database?
The DJ Database is the name given to the storage unit for a DJ's collection of digital copies of sound recordings and for most DJs, this is likely to be a laptop computer. The Digital DJ Licence requires the DJ Database to consist of a computer or hard disk unit unless agreed otherwise with PPL.
Do they need to have any other licences?
If you are copying or storing digital copies of sound recordings, you are copying and storing the musical and lyrical compositions featured on those sound recordings. Your DJ therefore needs the licence of the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society ("MCPS"), which controls the copying rights of composers in the UK. If the Database is used to perform sound recordings in public, either the venue or the Disco owner will need to obtain a public performance licence.
What if my chosen Disco does not have a Digital DJ Licence?
They will be unable to use digital copies of sound recordings in PPL's repertoire for DJing. As well as infringing PPL's rights in its sound recordings by copying and storing sound recordings in digital form, your chosen venue may refuse to let them play (at the last minute) if they can not demonstrate that their digital files are properly licensed.
Mister Musicman plays original copies of recordings during performances and sometimes uses a computer database which makes it easier to search for any requests!
