Music Publishers Association

The how, what, when, why and who of using copyright music

Before using a musical work that is still in copyright you must first seek the permission of the rights owner. Remember, in the UK the copyright in a musical work lasts for seventy years from the death on the last remaining author.

For permission to record music, or to perform music live you should contact PRS for Music.

If you are planning to perform a musical, opera or ballet, you should contact the rights owner directly.

For permission to play a recording of music in any public place, broadcast music, or include it in a cable programme service you should contact PPL and PRS for Music.

Before you sample another recording you must first seek the permission of the rights owner in the work, and, if the recording being sampled was first released within the last 50 years you should also seek the permission of the rights holder in the recording or their agent PPL.

For detailed information on the dos and don’ts of copying printed music please refer to our printed music page.