Digital DJ Licence?

[TechMouse]

Since there's been so much speculation on these pages of late regarding digital formats, thought people might be interested to read this - which someone posted up on the nuskoolbreaks.co.uk forums earlier this week.

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.”

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

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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

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
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This seems just another trick to get some money. We already pay for the tracks and now we need a license to play those tracks in a club?

Discuss...

[Mirsha]

Christ what a load of ****ing utter toss. Clubs need a licence ot have live music, DJ's need a licence to play mp3's, where is this going to end? Are we going to have to apply for a yearly clubber licence to be allowed into a club? How about a street licence to walk down the street or a voice licence to be able ot use your voice?

As always this looks like a load of cow bollocks, yet another prety much enforceable way for the government to soak up money from people by adding another layer of pointles beuorocracy into peoples lives in attempt to gain yet another handle the government can wield in it's campaign of "Down with this sort of thing".

[acidsaturation]

This is making people pay for the misdemenours of others.

And yeah, surely if a club has a liscence it shouldn't matter what format the music is in...?

And if you can download them then you should be able to copy them to CD if you're paying £200 for the privilage.

[TechMouse]

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.”

i.e. Download illegal music as much as you like once you've bought our licence, we won't give a flying fcuk.

The bit that concerns me the most is I often play stuff off CD.

Sometimes my own stuff, sometimes other people's... nearly always with the permission of the copyright owner... but it sounds like even with this licence, I might get into some kind of bother unless I was playing it off a lappy.

[Komplex]

its nothing but a scam. who does that money go to? the artists? NO.

[RDR]

Its nothing but a scam...

But one that we are all going to have to PLAY along with.

End of.

[acidsaturation]

Does it specifically state that it's just mp3s...

Be an interesting loophole to check if you can play wav/ogg/wma etc...

[TechMouse]

Does it specifically state that it's just mp3s...

Be an interesting loophole to check if you can play wav/ogg/wma etc...

The implication in the above article is that it's anything played digitally off a laptop.

... and that using CD decks will be illegal anyway.

[tocsin]

I'm not down with it at all. Who gets the money and why? Do I have to pay for a license to digitally DJ music I write? Sounds like more unnecesary stupid beuracracy which will help some people get fat, and do little or nothing to combat the problem they are going after.

[Heroes]

ppl, prs & mcps are a so called non profit organisation, yea right, ive seen there offices and they mabe non profit but they sure do spend on refurb and nice wages throughout, i tried to join prs 8 years ago and was told if i didnt have anything that was top 20 or looked like it they basically wasnt interested, i was told by mcps i couldnt claim money for 8000 sales i made on a label other than my own because i didnt claim within the 1st 6 months, if i was a major they allow 2 years. What they do is go round and bill places like clubs, restaurants, pubs, anything with a dukebox to a f ucking soapbox, you have to pay an anual subscription, but whats most ****ed of all is its not regulated its pecking order payout, they blindly think because its a club there playing top 40, so infact all the hard clubs, house clubs, drum n bass clubs, trance clubs are infact fueling and funding for simon cowles new ferrari........utter toss, its as out of date as the poll tax and needs a whole new shake up.....

[g]

i wonder what the implications are for non-UK residents who come into the UK to play. either i'm not subject to this law, ever, or i suddenly am as soon as i show up in a UK club?

and yea, what an utter load of crap either way. the notion that you'd have to buy a license to play music that you rightfully own makes my head hurt.

[TechMouse]

Lots of interesting points raised here.

Sounds like this topic runs even deeper and more destructively than I first thought.

The question is... how long before someone big enough gets bitten and decides to take them on.

[Mirsha]

i wonder what the implications are for non-UK residents who come into the UK to play. either i'm not subject to this law, ever, or i suddenly am as soon as i show up in a UK club?

and yea, what an utter load of crap either way. the notion that you'd have to buy a license to play music that you rightfully own makes my head hurt.

You'll get grassed up to the cops, given an internal search since you aren't a UK national you will be a threat to security then put in solitary confinement until you are forcibly deported, at which point the American's put you in Guatanamo bay until you confess your crimes.

[TechMouse]

at which point the American's put you in Guatanamo bay until you confess your crimes.

Yes! It's true! I played an mp3 in a club... god help me, I did...

[TechMouse]

Seriously though... I reckon if they're going to bring in this kind of legislation they could really do with being a lot more clear and open about it. Perhaps leaflets, consultations etc. The biggest problem I can see is that no-one seems to quite understand the implications - what is covered, what isn't etc. - and certainly no-one seems to understand what they have to do.

[RDR]

Seriously though... I reckon if they're going to bring in this kind of legislation they could really do with being a lot more clear and open about it. Perhaps leaflets, consultations etc. The biggest problem I can see is that no-one seems to quite understand the implications - what is covered, what isn't etc. - and certainly no-one seems to understand what they have to do.

Agreed, what i resent is the lack of consultation - they say that they spoke to DJs, but WHO? The PRS and the Musicians Onion have very little to do with DJs (I know, im a member) and treat DJs with little respect. The same with electronic musicians.

[TechMouse]

they say that they spoke to DJs, but WHO?

My guess would be the kind of DJs that play in <insert name of local cheesy club here> and do in fact play tunes out of the top 40.

[tocsin]

I'd be surprised if they seriously talked to anyone. This is just a new pyramid scheme, supposedly justified due to piracy, that will have no effect on piracy.

[Mirsha]

But DJ's who pirate music won't be able to play it in clubs anymore! Think of the millions of downloads it'll stop and the billions it'll put in the pockets of people who make too much money for being talentless fat ****s! Think of the poor starving musicians, forced to tour around the globe to make a meagre living and survive on a poor mans diet of cavier and champagne.

[TechMouse]

But DJ's who pirate music won't be able to play it in clubs anymore!

If you read the article, it implies that if you have one of these licences they won't care where you get your mp3s from.