BBC Licences

We have recently agreed new joint (MCPS and PRS) licences with the BBC, covering all of its public service television and radio channels in the UK (e.g. BBC1, BBC2, Radio 3, BBC 6 Music), its on-demand services such as iPlayer and BBC Sounds, and the BBC World Service.

In addition, we have agreed new MCPS licences with BBC Worldwide (now BBC Studios) covering DVD/Blu-Ray releases and international sales of TV programmes.

These licences, which commenced on 1 Jan 2019, replace existing licences which have been in place for a number of years. They include new terms which, if you’re an MCPS member, give you the opportunity for more control over how your music is used. This means that the BBC or BBC Studios may be in contact with you to obtain clearance (“prior approval”) to use your music in certain circumstances as follows:

Single Artist/Composer Programmes

Where a TV programme relates to a single composer or author (or composer and/or author team), the BBC will need to obtain prior approval to use commercial works written or composed by the composer, author or team in question. The exception to this is where the BBC makes the relevant programme in collaboration with the composer, author or team in question (or their estate, as the case may be).

Permitted Promotions (also known as “Trailers”)

A permitted promotion is content which, over a limited period (of no more than two months), previews a specific programme or series, live events, or a season of programmes. Where a commercial work is flagged on our database as requiring prior approval it may not be used in a permitted promotion unless the relevant MCPS member has approved the use of the work.

Generic Radio Promotions

A generic radio promotion is content which promotes one or more of the BBC’s public service radio services. The BBC is licensed to use commercial music (provided they obtain prior approval from the relevant MCPS member) in up to six generic radio promotions in each year of its licence.

TV Programmes sold into North America

Where programmes are sold by the BBC’s commercial arm (BBC Studios) to third parties in the USA and Canada, commercial musical works that are flagged on our database as needing prior approval may not be included in those programmes unless the relevant MCPS member has approved the use of the commercial musical work, or the musical work is used ‘in-context’ (i.e. clips from feature films, record company or artist management approved promotional material, music used in the context of an interview with an artist etc.).

North American DVD/Blu-ray and Download To Own (DTO)

BBC Worldwide (now BBC Studios) has had MCPS licences covering DVD sales and DTO in North America for the last ten years. These licences had prior approval provisions for any uses of North American originating commercial music.



Under the new licences, the rights to use MCPS commercial musical works are no longer included for any new programmes (i.e. those made on or after 1 January 2019) sold by the BBC or BBC Studios. If the BBC wants to use commercial music in these programmes, it will need to clear these rights directly with publishers.