PRS Digital Music Licence for Schools

Schools across the UK are now utilising online means and digital services to both aid teaching and extracurricular activities for pupils and their parents. This includes, but is not limited to, using music on a school’s website, sharing music and videos through a school’s server or learning portal, or even the use of online conferencing or education platforms.

The PRS for Music and PPL licences already administered by the Centre for Education & Finance Management (CEFM) allow for the performance or playing of music known as “Public Performance” of copyright music. These licences do not convey the same user rights as the PRS Digital Music Licence for Schools.

The specially designed PRS Digital Music Licence for Schools grants you permission to incorporate music into a wide range of digital activities. This includes incorporating music into videos, multimedia presentations, streaming performances online and storing music on closed databases. Their music spans all genres and contains millions of songs, including those of many commercial artists.

What does the PRS Digital Music Licence for Schools allow my school to do?

The licence provides your school with permission to legally use music online through its own digital platforms. This would cover activities such as:

  • Background music on a school’s website
  • Live streaming, on demand streaming or downloading of recordings of school events (such as concerts and end of year proms, etc.)
  • Music on school databases and/or servers used for assemblies, clubs, events and homework purposes
  • Use of music in educational homework projects and in recordings of such educational projects
  • Visual and/or audio recording of pupils’ extra-curricular activities for on demand stream or download including activities such as day trips and school camps
  • Performances (playing) of music as part of school run activities including, for example, breakfast and after school clubs, PTA activities and other school organised group activities for pupils of the school
  • Online school radio station
  • Any use of music within conferencing or education platforms or intranets, including for online learning

How much does a PRS Digital Music Licence for Schools cost?

The annual licence fee is calculated according to student numbers across the entire School, including attached nursery and sixth forms and is a per pupil fee of £0.83p and there is no minimum fee.

Permissions for the use of music in schools

The use of music in schools can require up to three different PRS for Music permissions:

PRS Performance Licence – covers schools for the public performance of musical repertoire controlled by PRS for Music for use at school activities and school events.

PRS Digital Music Licence for Schools – covers a school for mechanical, performing and synchronisation use. This includes student performances, creating content containing music for use within schools for stream and download, sharing videos through servers and learning management systems

Schools Recording Licence – covers mechanical rights for recording and copying carried out by schools. This includes making recordings of student performances containing music, use of personal music services in schools, creating playlists of music for use in drama, music and dance performance, producing physical products such as CDs and DVDs containing music which can be given away or sold for fundraising purposes and copying or recording music onto school servers

PPL licences may also be required.

Do you have the correct licences?

The Department for Education (DfE) and Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) have each agreed and paid for a PRS Digital Music Licence for Schools to cover state-maintained schools in England and Northern Ireland respectively.

If you are unsure if you are correctly licensed, please contact CEFM on 01494 836259. If you wish to purchase a PRS Digital Music Licence for Schools, please complete the application form.