Campsite Music Licence: Do You Need One?

The radio is on in reception, there is a speaker in the camp shop, and on a Saturday in August someone is strumming a guitar by the bar. Lovely. But do you need a campsite music licence for any of it? Many owners have no idea, and the first they hear about it is a letter or a phone call from a licensing company.

I get asked about this more than you would expect, so here is the plain version for UK campsites: what needs a licence, what does not, and how to stay on the right side of it without spending more than you have to.

Why a campsite might need a music licence

When you play recorded music in a place the public can access, you are legally "playing it in public". The songwriters, publishers, performers and record companies are entitled to be paid for that. In the UK that money is collected by PPL PRS, which sells a combined licence called TheMusicLicence.

The key point is that a licence is about who is playing the music and where. It is not about how loud it is or how many people hear it.

What usually needs a licence

If your business is the one playing the music in a shared or public area, you are likely to need cover. Typical examples at a campsite:

• A radio or playlist running in reception or the camp shop
• Background music in a bar, cafe or tea room on site
• Music in the toilet block or games room
• Recorded music at a disco, quiz night or family entertainment evening
• Music or TV channels in a communal lounge or clubhouse
• Music played over a speaker system covering the whole field

Playing a streaming service from your personal account does not get you out of it either. Personal streaming subscriptions are for private listening. Using them in a business setting breaks their terms and does not count as a licence.

What usually does not need a licence

Plenty of campsite music is perfectly fine without one. You are generally not responsible for:

• Guests playing music on their own pitch, in their own van or tent
• Music in your own private home, where it is not heard by the public
• Silence, which is more popular than you think on a quiet CL or CS site

That last one is worth a thought. If you run a small, peaceful site with five pitches and a shed for a shop, you may well have no music playing in public at all, and no need for any licence. Check how you actually use sound before you buy anything.

Live music is a separate question

Recorded music licensing and live entertainment rules are two different things, and campsite owners often mix them up.

If you book a local band for a weekend, there are usually two things to check:

• Music copyright. Live performances of copyrighted songs can also need a licence. A band or performer sometimes arranges this themselves, but do not assume it. Ask.
• Entertainment and alcohol rules. Under the Licensing Act 2003, some live music is exempt in certain circumstances, such as small audiences and sensible hours, but amplified music late into the evening, or anything involving the sale of alcohol, can need a premises licence or a Temporary Event Notice. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems.

If you are planning a one off event, our guide to the Temporary Event Notice for campsites explains how that route works. For the bigger picture, see which licences a UK campsite needs.

How to get a licence and keep the cost down

If you decide you do need one, contact PPL PRS directly through their website. The cost depends on your type of premises and how you use music, so there is no single price. It is worth knowing what questions they will ask:

• Where music is played (shop, bar, communal areas)
• How many hours a week it is played
• How big the space is
• Whether you hold events with recorded music or dancing

A few ways to avoid paying for more than you need:

• Turn it off where it is not adding value. If nobody would miss the radio in the toilet block, switch it off.
• Consider licence free music. Some providers sell royalty free or independently licensed background music for businesses. Read the small print to confirm it covers commercial public use.
• Be accurate on the application. Describe how you use music honestly. It is easier to start from the right place than to untangle it later.
• Review it each year. If you close the bar or stop evening events, your needs change.

I am not a solicitor and this is general guidance rather than legal advice. If you are unsure, PPL PRS and your local authority licensing team can tell you where you stand for your own site.

Common mistakes campsite owners make

Most problems come from assumptions rather than bad intentions. These are the ones I see most often:

• Assuming a small site is exempt. There is no exemption for being small. What matters is whether you play music in public areas, not how many pitches you have.
• Assuming the band has it covered. Sometimes the venue is expected to hold the licence. Ask the performer, and get the answer in writing if you can.
• Forgetting about the TV. A television showing music channels or a film with a soundtrack in a communal lounge can count too.
• Ignoring the letter. If a licensing company contacts you, reply. Ignoring it rarely makes it go away, and a calm, honest answer usually sorts things out quickly.
• Forgetting the seasons. A site that only plays music in the summer months should say so when applying, rather than paying for a full year of use.

A simple habit helps. Once a year, before the season starts, walk the site with a notepad. Note every speaker, radio and screen, who controls it, and when it is on. That list is exactly what you need if you ever have to explain your setup to a licensing body.

Keep noise and neighbours in mind as well

A licence solves the copyright side. It does nothing about noise. Even properly licensed music can lead to complaints from guests or the people living next door. Set clear times and stick to them, and make sure guests know before they book.

Our guides to campsite quiet hours and noise policy and running events that boost bookings will help you get that balance right.

Tell guests what to expect

The simplest way to avoid friction is to be upfront. If you hold a music night on the first Saturday of the month, say so on your listing and in your booking confirmation. Guests who want a lively weekend will book it. Guests who want peace will pick a different weekend or ask for a pitch further away.

With CampSuite you can add a note about event dates to your guest messages and confirmations, so nobody arrives surprised. You can also use booking management to keep quiet pitches free of event weekends if you want to.

The key takeaway

If you play recorded music in public areas of your campsite, such as a shop, bar or communal room, you probably need a licence. If guests only play music on their own pitch, you probably do not. Live music brings extra rules around copyright, entertainment licensing and alcohol, so check before you book the band.

A ten minute audit of where music is played on your site could save you a fine, or a licence you never needed. And if you would like less admin around events and guest messages, start a free CampSuite account and get your bookings and arrival messages in one place.