Presentation of prototype online one-stop web application serving multiple music licences to radio businesses, commissioned by the Technology Strategy Board for a planned UK 'copyright hub', developed by TotallyRadio, written by Daniel Nathan & Grant Goddard in June 2012 for a TSB one-day conference.

1. Music Licensing For Radio
Technology Strategy Board, IC tomorrow
Digital Licensing Framework
27 June 2012
Festival Productions Limited

2. Festival Productions Limited
• Award-winning independent radio producer for BBC and commercial
radio since early 1990s
• Launched totallyradio.com in 2000 as the UK’s first multi-channel
online radio content aggregator with support from Microsoft
• Lead partner in two TSB-funded partnership projects, Radio
Connected and RadioDeck, enhancing online radio connectivity
• Daniel Nathan: chairman of Juice 107.2, Brighton’s local
commercial FM radio station
• Grant Goddard: media analyst specialising in the radio
sector, consulted on music copyright for RadioCentre and PRS
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3. The challenges for ‘radio’ users of
music copyrights
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4. ‘Radio’ uses have multiplied
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BBC radio in many more shapes and forms on various platforms
Around 300 commercial radio stations whose ownership and formats change more frequently as a result of
a less regulated environment
A brand new tier of around 200 community radio stations, with more to be licensed by Ofcom
'Restricted Service Licence' broadcasters that transmit temporarily on FM/AM for a limited time
period, licensed by Ofcom
Around 200 radio stations serving patients and staff in hospitals, some broadcasting over-the-air and others
on closed loop distribution systems
Around 40 student radio stations in higher education institutions, some broadcasting over-the-air and others
on closed loop distribution systems
Hundreds of radio stations based in schools, some broadcasting with low-power FM transmitters, others
only broadcasting on audio circuits
Around 200 independent radio production businesses, many of which offer audio content on their own web
sites or those of commercial sponsors, in addition to supplying content to the BBC and commercial radio
broadcasters
Commercial businesses (newspapers, magazines, retailers, music labels, clubs and even FMCG brands
offering radio content for streaming or download as an enhancement to their existing activities)
Non-commercial organisations (educational, cultural and sporting institutions, charities, NGOs and
community organisations) producing audio content and offering it as online streams or downloads
Individuals creating their own radio programmes and offering them online for streaming or download
Commercial businesses offering online radio programmes
Commercial businesses offering online radio stations
Commercial businesses offering online personalised music streams
Online content aggregators offering a mix of audio content from user-generated or commercial sources
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5. ‘Radio’ licences have multiplied
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Commercial analogue radio station licence
DAB, satellite and cable radio station licence
Radio station test transmission licence
Long term Restricted Services, Student Radio, Prison Radio, Army Base
radio station licence
Community radio licence
Short term Restricted Services licence
Hospital radio licence
Radio advertising production music licence
Independent radio production company licence
Limited Online Music Licence (LOML):
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Limited Download/On-Demand Streaming Service
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Band A
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Band B
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Band C
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Band D
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Band E
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Pure Webcasting Service
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Band A
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Band B
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Band C
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Band D
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Band E
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Premium & Interactive Webcasting Service
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Band A
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Band B
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Band C
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Band D
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Band E
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Permanent Download Service
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Band A
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Band B
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Band C
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Band D
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Band E
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Music Podcasting Service
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Band A
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Band B
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Band C
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Band D
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Band E
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General Entertainment: Limited Download/On-Demand Streaming
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Band A
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Band B
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Band C
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Band D
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Band E
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General Entertainment: Permanent Download Service
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Band A
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Band B
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Band C
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Band D
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Band E
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Clips Service
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Band A
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Band B
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Band C
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Band D
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Band E
Online Music Licences (OML):
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Music Download
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Music On-Demand
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Music On-Demand (Subscription)
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Interactive Webcast
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Interactive Webcast (Subscription)
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Webcast
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Webcast (Subscription)
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Single Artist Webcast
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Single Artist Webcast (Subscription)
General Entertainment Online Licence (GEOL)
Performing Right Online Licence:
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Music services
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On-Demand Streams
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Background music to a website
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Permanent downloads
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General Entertainment Services
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On-Demand Streams
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Background music to a website
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Permanent downloads
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6. Multiple licensors for ‘radio’
PRS
MCPS
PPL
AIM
RECORD
LABELS
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7. The Hooper Report: 2012
“Thousands of small businesses across the UK are required to have
two music licences from two different organisations and two invoices –
to play the same pieces of music for their employees and customers.
The two collecting societies, PPL and PRS, patiently explain that there
are indeed two different types of licences involved but that does not
obviate the fact that, seen from the small business/consumer point of
view, it is unnecessarily complex and annoying.”
‘Rights and Wrongs: Is copyright licensing fit for purpose for the digital age?’, The first report of the
Digital Copyright Exchange Feasibility Study, IPO, 2012, p.38-9, para.129
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8. The Hargreaves Report: 2011
“It is widely acknowledged that the solution to these difficulties lies in
the very technologies that created the problem. Just as digital
technologies provide new and exciting ways of using content, they offer
a means of transforming the efficiency of licensing. As the submission
from the European Publishers Council states: „the answer to the
machine is in the machine.‟”
‘Digital Opportunity: A Review Of Intellectual Property & Growth’, 2011, p.30, para.4.20
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9. Our solution
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10. Objectives
• To provide a one-stop online application solution to SMEs for
blanket licensing of music copyrights used in a ‘radio’ context
• To automate the blanket licensing process as much as possible
• To educate copyright users about:
– the need to license music content
– the creative potential to use music in different radio contexts
• To simplify the licence application process
• To reduce the administrative burden on music copyright licensees
and licensors
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11. Build an online application ‘wizard’
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12. Create a limited prototype
• Our prototype delivers capability within one significant part of the
complex decision tree for radio blanket licensing
• Prototype delivery for one licensing organisation (PRS For
Music, a stakeholder in the TSB Digital Licensing Framework)
• Prototype delivery of three broadcast radio licences
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13. 1. User starts here
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14. 2. User inputs all requested data
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15. 3. User requests a basket of licences
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16. Lessons learned
• No common licensing terminology appears to exist between
licensing organisations
• User data (name, address, business details) required by licensors
are different for different licences
• Criteria and calculations necessary for a licence are complex and
baffling to those unfamiliar with music licensing
• The user journey has to be made as painless, brief and informative
as possible
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17. Post-prototype development plans
• Enlist support for our ‘wizard’ from all music licensing organisations
(PRS, MCPS, PPL, AIM)
• Deliver capability across all parts of the complex decision tree for
radio blanket licensing
• Offer licences for all radio platforms (broadcast radio, internet
radio, podcasts, on-demand)
• Potentially extend the application to offer additional innovative
licensing solutions to radio businesses via the TSB Digital Licensing
Framework interface
• Secure the necessary funding
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18. Trial our application
Go to: www.totallyradiocentral.com
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19. Find out more
totallyradiocentral.com
Daniel Nathan
daniel@totallyradiocentral.com
Grant Goddard
grant@totallyradiocentral.com
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