MUSIC IN PUBS
The Irish Pub is far from being a mere drinking emporium alone, the pub has for long played an important cultural and social function in Irish society. Indeed public houses have become synonymous with the phrase ceol agus craic.
As a publican you will be fully aware of the importance of creating the right atmosphere to attract and keep customer patronage in your public house. In creating this environment the music you provide is very often just as important as the drink selection, food menu & interior design that you provide to attract customers to your bar.
Being part of the competitive leisure industry you will understand the necessity of fulfilling consumer requirements with regard to service and entertainment expectations. Using every means open to you to enhance the overall appeal of your pub to your customers is vital. This is where music can become part of the overall service that you can provide.
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.
A Bord Failte Report for 1994 showed that 2.9 million visitors to Ireland went to a pub with live music while 0.5 million visited a disco or a club.
Source: Bord Failte 1994.
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 business 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 pub 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 pub 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 pub 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 public house. 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 public houses outside the Greater Dublin Area is dependent on a number of factors. These factors include:
- The level of featured music events, for example, discos, live music or karaoke sessions that may take place on your premises. The level of annual turnover is taken into account when determining a rate per music session. Events where there is a charge for admission are calculated as a percentage of gross income from admission charges plus any other income received by the promoter or licensee in respect to the event e.g. sponsorships or other fees.
- The provision of music by means of electronic apparatus such as televisions, record/tape/CD players, relayed radio or music sourced by satellite dish or cable. A separate tariff applies to the use of jukeboxes and video jukeboxes.
Thus smaller establishments will typically be paying less than larger public houses 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 Vintners’ Federation of Ireland. 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 publicans 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 pub 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 public house 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
