No PRS Hike For UK Fests

Performing rights fees for festivals won’t go up this year, PRS director of public performance sales Keith Gilbert told City Session London April 1.

The announcement came after months of an ongoing wrangle over raising the Live Music Tariff, which is currently 3 percent of gate receipts.

The formal consultation period is over and the PRS board is expected to give its decision on a rate hike later in the year, but Gilbert doesn’t expect an announcement will be made before the summer.

He said PRS wants to maintain a dialogue with the industry and encouraged festival organisers to stay in touch and explain how their business works so the collection agency can create the best solution for all parties.

The City Sessions are regional mini-conferences produced by Festival Awards Ltd., organiser of the UK Festival Awards.

They deal with all aspects of the live music business and, apart from the PRS question, the London session focused on what police forces are charging to cover the UK’s outdoor shows.

The London session at The O2 Academy Islington was the second of the series, which began at The O2 Academy in Leeds at the end of March.

The next sessions, all supported by Academy Music Group, are at O2 Academies in Bristol, Glasgow and Birmingham.