PRS for Music represents the rights of 90,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK, and has just launched Music Makeover 2012 ahead of the important Live Music Act 2012 which comes into effect this October.
The Music Makeover’s £5,000 helps pubs create the right space for music so they can remain competitive and, crucially, a key destination for locals to enjoy. The passing of the Live Music Act means small venues in England and Wales (under a 200-person capacity) will no longer need local authority permission to host performances of live music.
PRS for Music will be contacting 41,000 pubs with a comprehensive guide to making live music work including tips on genre choice, stage lighting, jukeboxes, gig promotion and ticketing.
Positive impact on sales of live music
Research conducted by PRS for Music with pub-data specialists CGA Strategy Ltd. indentified a significant positive impact of live and recorded music on sales in pubs – an increase of £667 on Fridays and Saturdays and 36 more units each day during the week. In deeply challenging economic times for the great British pub, the research confirms that live music is a vital life-line to many venues.
There is a significant uplift for music venues compared to non-music venues:
- Fri/Sat – Average value rate of sale uplift: 48.2%
- Weekdays – Average value rate of sale uplift: 21%
On average music venues:
- Take £306 more per day on wet sales (at weekends this can rise to as much as £667 per venue per day).
- Sell 36 more units/products per day (at weekends this can rise to as much as 86 more units per day).
A summary of the research can be found online.
Francis Rossi of Status Quo remarked: “Don’t even start me on the importance of the pub circuit. In the early days we were always gigging in local pubs, throwing our kit in the back of the van and motoring from town to town. We pretty much mastered our live sound and style in those old pubs.”
Horace Trubridge, Musicians’ Union stated: “Pubs play such a vital role in many musicians’ careers and provide an essential platform from which talent can grow. Demonstrating how music can really benefit pubs underlines how intertwined the two industries are. We need to protect and support the pub sector and the live music circuit as they are both such an integral part of the UK cultural scene.”
Last year’s Music Makeover winner David Pott of The Market Inn, Faversham, said: “We were extremely pleased to win – pleased for us and for the pub. The prize money will be a great boost for the pub and the community. This will put The Market Inn on the map for music. We’re already receiving demos from local bands who want to play here.”
To enter Music Makeover complete the application form online, or by printing off and returning it to PRS for Music by 30 September 2012.
PRS for Music
Represents the rights of 90,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK. As a not-for-profit organisation it ensures creators are paid whenever their music is played, performed or reproduced; championing the importance of copyright to protect and support the UK music industry. The UK has a proud tradition of creating wonderful music that is enjoyed the world over and PRS for Music has been supporting the creators of that music since 1914.
PRS for Music provides business and community groups with easy access to over 10m songs through its music licences. In an industry worth £3.8bn PRS for Music is uniquely placed to be a voice for music and music creators. Collecting £630.8m in 2011 PRS for Music is one of the world’s most efficient combined rights organisations. With 150 representation agreements in place globally, PRS for Music’s network represents over 2 million music creators. www.prsformusic.com
Music Makeover entries will be whittled down to three finalists who will be visited by industry expert judges looking for a venue with untapped potential for music, and landlords who display the greatest desire to make live music a key feature of their pub. Judges include representatives from British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and Musicians Union (MU). The overall winner will be announced by 31 December 2012.
See here for full terms and conditions