17th February 2010: NCVO 'Don't Stop the Music' Campaign

NCVO is campaigning against the Government's decision to make charities and other not for profits pay for a licence when they play recorded music in their own premises. To date, charitable organisations have been exempt from these charges and NCVO believes this should continue.

Since the Intellectual Property Office consulted on this issue last year, NCVO has been concerned at the disproportionate impact that the proposed changes will have on a significant number of charities. The new licensing system, which is due to come into force in April 2010, is estimated to cost the voluntary and community sector upwards of £20 million.

The campaign has secured backing up and down country and has received far reaching press coverage. An Early Day Motion was put forward by Tom Levitt MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Community and Voluntary sector, in November and has so far received 100 signatures.

To get involved with the campaign you can:

• Sign our Number 10 petition
• Join our ever growing Facebook group
• Join our discussion on how the new music licensing rules could impact VCOs
• Write to your MP
• Get in touch with NCVO - email dontstopthemusic@ncvo-vol.org.uk or call Elizabeth Chamberlain on 020 7520 2559

The new charges will affect a wide range of organisations including:

• an event in a building owned by a charity with music being played in the background, such as a youth centre holding a disco;
• a carers' association playing music to entertain children; and
• a charity shop where the volunteers are listening to music in the back room.

Find out more

• Third Sector online, 02 February 2010 Reverse decision to charge charities for playing music, Lord Mandelson is told
• Telegraph story, 02 January 2010 £81 music fee will hit charity shops
• Telegraph story, 21 December 2009 Charities face £20m 'tax' for playing music
• Read our press release 'Music licensing scheme will bring death to the charity tea dance and disco'
• See the Early Day Motion tabled by Tom Levitt MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group
• Read the briefing we have sent to Members of Parliament (PDF 31 KB)
• Read NCVO's briefing on the new music licensing rules (PDF 110KB)
• Read NCVO's response to the IPO consultation (PDF 13KB)
• Read Government's response to the consultation on music licensing (PDF 452KB)
• Listen to NCVO's Head of Policy, Belinda Pratten, talk about the issue on Radio 4 You and Yours (23 minutes in).