PPL PRS Ltd Avis 

PPL PRS Ltd keep phoning my little shop and harrassing me, even though I keep telling them I don't play unlicensed music in any form. This is hardrassment!

LEAVE ME ALONE!

I've recently taken over as Treasurer for a local charity, and received an annual assessment form to fill in for out. I hadn't a clue. PRS? PLS? I phoned customer services and spoke to Chris. He was so helpful and informative. I've now submitted our return thanks to his help. Thank you Chris :-).

We've dealt with Charlie at PPL PRS Ltd for a number of years now and I have to say it is a pleasure working with him. The process PPL PRS Ltd follows is so much more efficient, effective and open compared to some other suppliers in this sector. They work with you to achieve a common goal; and one can have an open and honest conversation with Charlie to find solutions that are fit for purpose.

I’ve held a Music Licence since 2013 and have always paid because I believe artists should be paid fairly. I am not opposed to music licensing itself, but it’s time that businesses are treated fairly by PPL PRS as well.

I run a very small salon as a sole trader and work completely alone in a single 7m x 4m room. I have three chairs, no employees and no separate staff area.

After contacting PPL PRS and asking for a review, I was advised that I am already on the lowest tariff available and that there is no flexibility whatsoever for a business of my size. Their Direct Debit options are 5 or 6 monthly payments with no options to spread the costs out further over the year.

I also questioned why listening to radio via a digital stream is treated differently from traditional FM radio, despite the content being identical and the vast majority of people now accessing radio digitally. We are in 2026. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain a meaningful explanation.

I understand the need for licensing and fully support artists being paid, but I feel the system has not kept pace with modern technology or the realities faced by sole traders and very small businesses.

The Federation of Small Businesses has previously raised concerns regarding the fairness and inflexibility of music licensing for small businesses, and after my own experience I can understand why those concerns were raised.

After thirteen years as a paying customer, I came away feeling that the system is rigid, outdated and lacks the ability to recognise and understand how modern micro-businesses actually operate in the 21st century.

I had discovered that the music license I had only covered one of the 4 charity events planned, so a panicked phone call to Chris 9.6.26, who was great, really explained what my licence covered, what I needed to do now and cover future events and assured me that my next event would be covered and what charges might be applied. Very helpful and reassuring phone conversation.

As a local club for adults with disabilities, their families and friends, we rely heavily on the expertise of business's like PRS. Without their invaluable help and support, we would find it hard to keep running amazing live music events for our fantastic members. Thank you guys!!

Honestly, reading from all the other reviews I can only confirm that this is a daylight robbing company. I am also being chased by creditors for a company I called them about to gather all information and do due diligence for business plan idea I was working out. I have been threatened now with legal action and being harassed regularly with email and calls from the credit company.

Being able to work closely with PPL/PRS and discuss our exact requirements, confirm the use of music and the location we play our music has made what is a complicated process much easier. This leaves us safe in the knowledge that we have our appropriate licence without over paying or leaving ourself short on licenced areas.

A pleasure working with Niall O'Connor at PPL ensuring all our sites at Splendid's QSR estate setup correctly

Literally the worst company ever. Demanding for payment without even provide me an invoice!! I called multiple times, they will promise to email me the invoice but nothing received and no one called me back! They have the audacity to charge me late payment fee because of their own incompetence!

If I could give them 0 I would. They don't get back to repeated requests for quotes. Then out of nowhere a random invoice arrives and they give you 7 days to pay it before passing it onto a debt collector. No discussion.

so far a 9 day delay in payment. No faith that anybody really understands what is going on. The lack of information and communication feels like a cover up. Get your act together!

Awful company to deal with ! Took out a license they made it sound great, that i could pay it monthly then slapped me with the whole amount due. I couldn't pay that amount in full, they took it to court. Ive had sherriff officers at my store, counting up assests even though I keep offering a payment plan amount. They say "they will consider all payment plan offers" absolute no sense! Straight away they rejected it, saying i had to pay this certain amount that just wasn't possible. Months this has gone on and in meantime I pay what I can when I can because im not having them say im making no payments. Be very wary as they are not helpful in trying to help you !! They dont even deserve one star !

I contacted this company proactively to understand whether I required a music licence for my business. Following this, a licence and invoice were issued, which I later disputed due to lack of clear advice and communication at the outset.

What followed was a very prolonged and frustrating process. Communication was inconsistent, I was passed between multiple advisers, and my account was escalated to collections while my concerns were still unresolved.

Despite repeatedly asking for clear information, I was continually referred to website links rather than being provided with straightforward answers. Even when the matter was close to resolution, I had to request multiple times for a basic breakdown of how charges had been calculated.

To be fair, the original invoice (over £3,000) was eventually reduced significantly to reflect actual usage. However, this only came after considerable time, effort, and persistence on my part.

The overall experience felt unnecessarily difficult and, at times, pressured. A clearer, more transparent and customer-focused approach from the outset would have avoided most of this.

My advice to other businesses:
   •   Fully understand the licensing requirements before agreeing to anything
   •   Consider royalty-free music options early
   •   Keep all communication in writing

The final outcome was reasonable, but the journey to get there was not. It is no surprise that this company and their parent company PRS for Music have well over 93% 1 star reviews and is a true reflection on how they run their businesses. Whoever is at the top of these companies should carry out a major review of the Extremely Poor Customer Experience. Anyone thinking of contacting them beware. Do like I did produce your own royalty free music, it's easy, great quality, you get what you want and best of all it is FREE!
Updated response
The response from this company is a bit of an April Fool joke ! If they took reviews/complaints seriously they wouldn't have so many 1 star reviews, I have never came across any business with over 95% 1 star reviews apart from their Parent company who has a similar number of poor reviews, clearly those at the top just take their exuberant salaries and probably over the top bonuses.
They clearly don't care about the customer experience. Out of date run company who needs to move along with the times, currently it's vintage and they staff have a couldn't care less attitude.

I stage an annual concert to raise funds for charity, and have been very grateful to PPL PRS for consistently supporting this endeavour by offering a 100% discount on the necessary license. Without this, we would make no profit at all, so the discount directly benefits the charity we are supporting. Thanks PPL PRS.

I have just renewed the PPL/PRS for our village hall and will admit to previously being in the ‘outraged’ camp on having to pay it. Not any more, I have had a lovely exchange of emails with Piotr who was so incredibly helpful and patient with my navigation of the rules and my amendments of amendments. I now feel that I understand the system and to be honest, it is fair to the original writers and musicians.

I am currently being pursued for a license for december 25 - Dec 26 when I ceased trading in November 25.

I contacted PPL in October 25 to inform them I was selling the pub, they subsequently issued an invoice which I notified was issued in error as I had disposed of the business.

They set their debt collection agency on me in January.
I told them I didn't owe anything as I'd sold the business. I also asked them for a copy invoice - no reply received.
Now in March the bill has nearly doubled and they now claim I have to give written notice of cancellation - EVEN if I do not own the premises anymore.

1 star because it does not allow me to put 0 stars.

This company has been harassing my Mother at a holistic healing store for some time now. Persistent, rude phone calls, angry, bullying tones - despite requesting that they cease as she does not and has never played licensed music - only unlicensed iChill tunes.

PPL PRS are calling several times a day to the point where she is now too frightened to answer her phone as their tone is threatening. Invoices sent go up with surcharges each time - DESPITE telling them via phone, website contact page and email, that no licensed music is played, so there is no amount to pay.

There is no visible COMPLAINTS procedure on their website, not even found using their own search field - we need to complete this elusive procedure in order to complete our involvement of the Ombudsman.

My conclusion is representatives calling from PPL PRS Ltd are obviously paid commission for each licence they 'sell', hence the forceful, angry, threatening tone and persistence, despite their conclusions being totally wrong and the need for a licence is NOT necessary. They are playing on the vulnerable and should be stopped for continuing this pressure.

If anyone wants to leave a message for me if they have had similar experiences with PPL PRS please do so, I have the time and the fortitude to take this to the media, it needs exposing and stopping.

Lack of Transparency and Confusing Billing

Quite simply, the whole process does not appear to be transparent. The billing categories are confusing and unclear, and they require much better explanation.

When you query anything, the responses feel scripted and generic. Rather than properly addressing concerns, it often seems like descriptions are rewritten or repeated instead of clarified.

I’m also confused as to why PPL is collecting fees for PRS when, if asked, they state they are completely separate organisations. That contradiction raises further questions about transparency.

Publicans regularly complain about these issues in social media chatrooms, so this does not appear to be an isolated experience.

This is a most
harassing company, never take No for an answer.
Most disgusting company in the world. The opportunists leeching an excuse for protecting the artists? Yet their disgusting behaviour that harming the public.Pounding us with phone calls, letters and email, looking for easy money. Even after informing
them that we have contacted the ombudsman. It was confirming that we do not need to pay their so call music licence if we do not have music played in the public places.
I have ask them for if they have "communication licence" in order to contact anybody by phones, emails or letters. They asked what. My answer is exactly what they are asking people to pay the "music licence". Not as if one has to buy a "sitting licence" after buying a chair?These licience can go on and on for all walk of life. We have 2 lots of TV licences in place for our small guesthouse!
We all hope the Government can do somethings about these opportunists. They should be brought down by Harrassment Act 1997.
May be these guys should learn how to be kind and lead a normal life by earning their own living. Otherwise they have to buy themselve a loo licience for using it!
Worst of all, they play god, insisting our LTD co is trading but actually is staying dormant since 2022. I contacted the Company House and request to display our company as Dormant. Unfortunately, it can either show active even is dormant or disolve. Their answer is simply just to ignore these guys.

02/03/26 to PPL PRS
Hello, Thanks for your response.
Yes, we have visited the Gov. uk. Website many times:
It clearly stated: Business requires the Music licence to play live or recorded music in public. In another word Not require if no music play in public.

We are small guest house without live music or background music.
Your staff had phoned and wrote to us about “The Licence”. None of them want to understand we do not have the music play in public places. Their only language or monologue is to pay “the Music Licence”!

Our guests are here to enjoy the city. The cost in transport, accommodation and efforts would explain to you very clearly that nobody is interested to hang around in the guesthouse listening to music. While they can to do so at the comfort of their own home and with their choice of entertainments. Therefore there is no need to provide such service in our guesthouse.

For you guys’ information, we used to enjoy listen to music while driving or traveling, now we don’t. As you guys put us totally off music. Congratulation you guys have destroy people interest in music. There are lots of our friends or people we known saying just that.

Why there is a need for you guys to bully small business like us for paying licences when there is NO music or live music plays in the public place. If you guys are interested about the welfares for the artists or musicians what about us and many others? Is it no best to lobby the government to pass the right to issue licence like BBC television licence to the public? Or request the well known musicians or artists taking turn to organise concerts and donate to their young talents? Their money will be well spent or invested.

Please do not harass us also by targeting our dormant LTD Co, which has stay dormant since 2022. Don’t try to sell Music Licence to a non functioning company. Just like selling music licence to the DEAF

I therefore formally request that you update your records immediately and cease further contact regarding licensing for us. Continue to send letters or email after receipt of this notice may constitute as unwarranted harassment.
Please confirm this matter is now closed.