MUSIC IN HOTELS
Being part of the Hotel and Leisure Industry you will certainly appreciate that your business is all about providing the highest quality of service to your customers. This service comes in many forms, for example, the size and quality of bedrooms, standard of food and beverages provided, expertise and attitude of staff members and the provision of entertainment and recreational facilities.
This is where music whether it by means of background music in bars and foyers, live music sessions, discos or cabarets adds to the overall service that your guests demand and indeed deserve. Providing music in your hotel should be an integral part of your whole service approach and not just seen as an optional extra that might be put on for guests.
Hoteliers that are already providing music on their premises will recognise the financial benefits that can be achieved from using music in their premises.
According to research undertaken in the UK by BDO Simpson Xavier Consultants looking into the cost-benefits of supplying music to the hotel and restaurant industry, music contributed some £35,900 to the overall take of £359,000 at the bar of one 320-room, internationally affiliated hotel. This represented a 297 per cent return on the investment of £12,070 in the provision of music to this area.
Source: Licensing World. June 1997.
An indicator of the importance of music as a product is that a study carried out in 1991 at one of Ireland’s premier destinations, Dingle, Co Kerry, revealed that 81.8% of tourists to that area stated that singing pubs and Irish music were their preferred method of entertainment.
Source: A Strategic Vision For the Irish Music Industry. Simpson Xavier Horwath Consulting. 1994. A Study of Tourists in Dingle 1991.
By taking out an IMRO licence you have instant access to millions of musical works covering all styles and musical tastes all of which can be used by you to improve the way in which your hotel operates.
Why The Need For An IMRO Licence?
Musical compositions just like any other copyrighted material (computer software, books and videos) are the legal property of their creators. Thus when you use this material in your hotel you must first obtain permission from the copyright owners to do so. The cost and time involved in securing the authority for each and every piece of music that you may use in your hotel would be an unaffordable and almost impossible task for you.
IMRO OFFERS YOU AN EASY SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM
IMRO can provide you with a music licence that covers any use of copyrighted music whether it be by means of a television, radio/CD/tape player, jukebox or live music etc., that may take place on your premises. Signing an IMRO licence means that you can legally use IMRO copyright music in your hotel for just one payment per year. This frees you from the trouble and cost of having to secure permission on each piece of music used on your premises.
Where Do Your Licence Fees Go?
IMRO functions as a non-profit making organisation and all distributable royalties collected by IMRO are paid directly to the people who compose, publish and write the music that you are playing in your hotel. IMRO also uses a proportion of the royalties collected to help foster and develop both new and established music writers through workshops, seminars and sponsorship of a wide variety of projects throughout the country.
By paying your annual licence fee to IMRO you are enabling songwriters to continue writing songs that you will ultimately use to improve the way in which your business operates. By protecting music writers rights we encourage and reinforce the creativity that helps everyone develop and prosper.
How Much Does An IMRO Licence Cost?
The level of royalties due with regard to music use in hotels is dependent on a number of factors. These factors include:
- The level of featured music events, for example, discos, live music sessions, cabarets or weddings that may take place on your premises. The capacity of these events is also taken into account when calculating the appropriate royalty charge.
- The provision of background music by means of record/tape/CD players, relayed radio or music sourced by satellite dish or cable. Seating capacity in these areas will determine the overall royalty due for background music. Jukeboxes and video jukeboxes are charged under a separate tariff.
- For hotels with leisure centres charges are based on the area in which background music is audible and the number of aerobic and keep-fit classes taking place throughout the year.
Thus smaller establishments will typically be paying less than larger hotels but for as little as a few cents a day you can select from millions of musical works to enhance the way in which your business operates.
YOUR IMRO LICENCE DOES REPRESENT GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY
IMRO charges have been negotiated and agreed upon with the Irish Hotels Federation, the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Irish Dancing and Entertainment Industry Association. IMRO will be happy to advise you about the cost of a licence for your particular business. You must get an IMRO licence before musical performances in public begin and if you contact IMRO before you start using music your first year royalty charge could be significantly reduced. IMRO makes it easy for hoteliers to tap into the power of music with one simple cost-effective licence.
Does it Matter How The Music Is Performed?
The simple answer here is no. Whether the performance is by means of a record/CD/tape player, television, radio, jukebox, video or live performance an IMRO licence is still necessary. You might say “but I already have a television licence” or “I’m using my own tapes & CDs”. Possession of a television licence does not cover the public performance of music on your premises. Similarly when you purchase a tape, record or CD the price you pay only covers the right to play the music in non-public areas such as your home. Once you play music on your premises it becomes a public performance of music. Musicians or artists whom you may have engaged or permitted to perform on your premises do not hold an IMRO licence - The responsibility is yours to ensure that your hotel is licensed correctly for any music that may take place.
Additional Questions / Information
We hope that this brochure has helped to explain the need and benefits of obtaining an IMRO licence. If you are an existing music user or you intend to use music in your company in the future and you have any additional information requirements please feel free to contact our Licensing Department at (01) 6614844
A member of our licensing staff will be happy to discuss your particular licensing needs.
Alternatively IMRO can be contacted through our Online Licensing and Information Service
