Ppl, Prs, Pro Dub.... Help.

[biggav 0]

I currently have ppl and didn't realise i needed PRS until i just googled it following a conversation with an old DJ mate.... so i'm looking at the prices of PRS and PPL and thinking... is it better just to go Produb and be done with it?

 

How does Produb work? i noticed on a web site that you can transfer up to 5000 tracks per year to MP3... which would be more than enough year on year, but initially i would require 10,000 to cover all my karaoke and current CD collection and save me karting them around.

 

I really though i was squeeky clean along with my PLI certificates and green stickers on all my plugs and have now found a large thorn in my side.. and will be playing my next gig for nil return to keep on the right side of the law.... :damn:

 

I wouldn't mind so much but i have spent £5000 in the last year to maintain all my certificates and competencies as a plumber.... :sad:

[McCardle 1]

I wouldn't mind so much but i have spent £5000 in the last year to maintain all my certificates and competencies as a plumber.

 

Just one example of another industry which bolsters a comment I made a few weeks back, in that legislation just penalises and puts greater financial burdens on those who are honest and does nothing to stamp out the 'rogue traders'.

 

You don't need PRS, if you are doing private functions and bookings at pubs etc which have their own Entertainment / PRS license. You will need a PRS if you do office parties and outdoor events (Carnivals / Fates) which don't already have PRS paid and in place. You will also need to obtain a PRS license if you are listed as the promotor of an event where the public are attending. An example of this would be if you were to arrange an U18's event and charged an admission fee, you would need to pay for a one off license if it was a one off event, or an annual one if it was to be a regular one.

 

How does Produb work? i noticed on a web site that you can transfer up to 5000 tracks per year to MP3... which would be more than enough year on year, but initially i would require 10,000 to cover all my karaoke and current CD collection and save me karting them around

 

If you are converting 10,000 tracks from CD to MP3 then you will need the relevant license, which according to the site would be £300 + Karaoke uplift = £360. I believe that this is a one-off fee in respect of tracks copied in the period that the license is valid for. Bear in mind however that if you were to convert additional tracks from CD to MP3 in the following years (after the initial license expires) then you would also need to pay £250 for that year even if you only converted 1 additional track to MP3 during that period, there is no lower threshold.

 

So to recap.

 

If you bought a license now that would cover you for upto 10,000 tracks ripped between now and Jan 2010, for a one off fee of £360 (inc Karaoke extension). You would never have to pay the PPL again for those tracks once they were converted. You would still have to retain the original CD's / CDG's for the duration though.

 

However, if you bought additional material which took you beyond that original 10k license or if you wanted to convert additional tracks beyond Jan 2010, then even if it was only a handful of tracks you would need to buy an additional license for 1 - 5000 tracks at a cost of £250. So potentially if you bought one CD in the following year and wanted to rip it to MP3 then you would have to pay £250 to obtain an additional license to do it. So that £12.99 CD then becomes a £262.99 nightmare.

 

a large thorn in my side.. and will be playing my next gig for nil return to keep on the right side of the law.

 

Thre is no legal requirement for every DJ who plays music to have a pro-dub license. The only legal requirement is that if the DJ format shifts music then he / she has to purchase one. Therefore, if you continue to use CD / CDG originals then you won't need to pay a penny. So you do have a choice smile icon

Edited January 17, 2009 by McCardle

[biggav 0]

what about legal mp3 downloads? TBH i'm fed up of CD albums which have 4 tracks i use, 3 i may use and 13 no one ever heard of!

If i am buying them as MP3 already, then i don't need Pro dub??? also, if i do it for 1 year and convert all my current stuff, can icarry on using the mp3's i have legally converted after my 12 months is up?

[McCardle 1]

what about legal mp3 downloads? TBH i'm fed up of CD albums which have 4 tracks i use, 3 i may use and 13 no one ever heard of!

If i am buying them as MP3 already, then i don't need Pro dub??? also, if i do it for 1 year and convert all my current stuff, can icarry on using the mp3's i have legally converted after my 12 months is up?

 

Now, legal MP3's and Pro-Dub are still pretty much being debated and you'll probably find conflicting information depending on the entity writing it and the time it was written. First of all, you are expected to show some level of diligence yourself and read the terms of license and use which the legal download site attaches to the actual purchase of material from their site.

 

If the site expressly prohibits the use of their material for 'commercial use' or 'commercial gain' then you would be advised to contact the owners of the site directly to expressly check whether DJing was included in that definition, also make sure that you keep their reply. If you do a search for Produb and Pro-dub on the forum then you will find loads of information on the subject.

 

Probably the best advice I can give, on the areas which are in doubt, would be to think up a whole load of questions for Pro-Dub and email your queries and concerns directly to them and make them earn their £360

Edited January 17, 2009 by McCardle

[biggav 0]

Cheers for that!!

[biggav 0]

Front page at www.produb.co.uk says;

 

 

ProDub Licence includes:

Copyright in the Musical Work (MCPS)

Copyright in the Sound Recording (PPL)

VAT

Permission to copy your legally-purchased music onto any other format

A tiered, flexible online payment system with costs dependent on how many tracks are copied within a one year time frame

Year One, Level One tier starts at £250 to copy up to 5,000 tracks. That’s just £4.80 per week and you only pay once for the tracks you copy

 

 

But then, in the licenced customer bit, it says;

Please note ProDub is a licence that allows individuals to COPY music, it does not constitute a PPL or PRS ‘performance’ licence. It is the responsibility of the owners of the venue/premises in which the music is played to ensure that they hold the necessary performance licenses.

 

Does this mean i need to purchase PPL, PRS and Produb separatley???? i thought that if they were going to all of this trouble, they would have at least packaged it all up so you you only had to make 1 transaction and be registered for everything..... not including PLI and PAT.....

 

Now totally confused and miffed.

[vokf 0]

No - if you DO need ProDub then you'll purchase it - the PPL/PRS is on the venue and their responsibility.

As their blurb says the PPL & PRS are purchased by the venue owners.

 

The ProDub simply allows you to change the format of music for public performance.

 

[McCardle 1]

the PPL/PRS is on the venue and their responsibility

 

Actually its part of our responsibility to actively check that the venue has a current and valid license, because if it was found to be unlicensed during a random check whilst you were present and working, then the requirement would probably fall onto us, as the entertainer to obtain one. There are also certain occasions, where a PRS / PPL license would need to be obtained seperately, by either the promoter or the DJ / Entertainer, and they are usually (but not limited to) Outdoor public events such as carnivals and shows, one off events open to the public / where an admission was charged and also (for some bizarre reason) Office parties.