By Sonosfera Team
You have booked the venue, lined up the caterer, and dragged the speakers into place. Then the council emails back asking about your permits, and you realise "the music thing" and "the alcohol thing" might be two different forms — not one. They are. Sorting that out early is the difference between a relaxed setup day and a frantic phone call to the licensing office on the Friday before your event.
Direct answer: a Temporary Events Notice is council permission for the event activity, while a music licence is permission for public music playback. Many UK organisers need both. Start with music for events and pop-ups, compare current UK pricing for Sonosfera catalogue playback, then check your council, venue, PPL PRS, live music, DJ, radio, and third-party playlist position separately.
This guide is for UK event organisers, cafe and bar managers, and shop owners running a pop-up, weekend market, or one-off evening event — anyone who is hosting a temporary event and is not sure which paperwork applies to the music. It is general guidance, not formal legal advice; for your exact situation, always check with your local council and the licensing bodies linked below.
In short: a Temporary Events Notice (TEN) is a council permit for the event — the regulated activity, such as selling alcohol or putting on entertainment. A temporary music licence is about the music — paying the people who created and recorded the tracks you play. They answer different questions, and for most events you need both.
The one-line difference
Think of it as physical space versus intellectual property.
- A TEN comes from your local council. It gives an unlicensed space — a field, a dry-hire warehouse, a shop floor after hours — permission to do something it isn't normally licensed for, like sell alcohol or host regulated entertainment.
- A music licence comes from the bodies that collect royalties for music. It gives you permission to play recorded or live music in public, so the songwriters, performers, and labels behind it get paid.
A council permit does not clear copyright, and a music licence does not let you sell a single pint. Rent a warehouse for a weekend market and the council wants a TEN; play recorded tracks at that same market and you also need a music licence. Mixing the two up is where organisers get caught out.
It cuts both ways. A cafe might get a TEN to serve beer at a Friday acoustic night and forget that the live covers being played also need clearance. A shop might hold a music licence all year but never think to get a TEN before pouring complimentary wine at a late-night shopping event. The safe habit is to check both boxes every time.
Side-by-side: council notice vs music licence
The table below lines up the five differences that matter most when you are filling in forms. Treat it as a starting point — fees and exact rules change, so confirm the current detail with the official source for your event.
| Feature | Temporary Events Notice (TEN) | Music licence (TheMusicLicence, PPL PRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | Your local UK council | PPL PRS Ltd |
| What it's for | Permits alcohol sales and regulated entertainment | Pays royalties to performers, labels, songwriters, and publishers |
| What it covers | A specific premises for a set time | The right to play the music publicly |
| Cost | A set council fee, published on GOV.UK | A variable tariff based on event size and how music is used |
| Capacity | Up to 499 people at any one time | Scales to any audience size under the relevant tariff |
| If you skip it | Council objection; the event may not be permitted | Risk of a copyright-infringement claim |
The cost lines explain the whole relationship. The council charges a flat administrative fee because a TEN is a permission slip. PPL PRS charges a variable fee because that money is distributed to the specific people whose music you played — a bigger crowd means a bigger audience for the music, which is reflected in the tariff. For a TEN, GOV.UK publishes the current fee and the notice periods; for music, you can ask PPL PRS for a quote based on your event.
The Temporary Events Notice, in practice
A TEN lets an unlicensed premises legally host a one-off event involving alcohol or regulated entertainment. Its strength is flexibility: you don't have to go through the long, expensive process of a full premises licence just to run a three-day summer festival in a field or a single late-night shopping evening.
There are firm limits to respect:
- Up to 499 people at any one time, including staff and performers.
- A single event of up to 168 hours (seven days).
- A notice period — give your council enough warning. The standard route asks for at least 10 working days before the event; there is a shorter "late" notice window with tighter conditions. Miss the deadline and you usually have to drop the alcohol or the regulated entertainment, because it isn't something you can negotiate after the fact. The police and environmental health team need that time to review your plans and raise any objection about noise or crowd safety.
Crucially, a TEN is about the venue and the activity, not the media you play through the speakers. The council cares about noise, public safety, and its licensing objectives — not whether you have paid royalties. If your event is a silent disco with no alcohol and no other regulated activity, you may not need a TEN at all; if that same silent disco has a cash bar, you need the TEN for the alcohol even though the room is quiet. The music question is handled separately.
The music licence, in practice
When you play music in public — recorded or live — the people who made it are entitled to be paid. In the UK that is normally handled through TheMusicLicence, issued by PPL PRS, a joint venture that bundles two sets of rights into one licence:
- PPL collects on behalf of record companies and performers (the recording).
- PRS for Music collects on behalf of songwriters, composers, and publishers (the underlying song).
TheMusicLicence covers a wide range of situations, from a DJ set to a live covers band to a phone plugged into a speaker. PPL PRS sets out examples for live and recorded music on its live events and festivals page, and you can confirm what applies to you via the PPL PRS help section. Because the exact position depends on the music source, the event type, the venue, and what you are playing, it is worth checking directly rather than assuming one document covers every scenario.
A point that trips people up: a personal Spotify or Apple Music subscription does not cover public playback. Those accounts are licensed for personal listening, not for entertaining a crowd. The same goes for buying a track outright — owning a copy isn't the same as having permission to perform it in public. For a public event you need the right business or event permission for the music itself.
When you need which — a quick decision guide
For an exhibition booth, use the stand music licence checklist to record the venue, organiser and exhibitor responsibilities.
Use this to figure out what applies, then confirm the detail with the relevant body:
- You're hosting a regulated activity in a space not licensed for it (selling alcohol, serving hot food late at night, or putting on regulated entertainment) → you need a TEN. Examples: a vintage market in a dry-hire warehouse selling cider, or a coffee shop running a one-off evening with a cash bar.
- You're playing commercial music in a space without its own music licence → you need a music licence for the event. Examples: a DJ in a hired community hall, or recorded playlists at an outdoor market.
- Both apply (the common case) → sort out both, and don't assume one covers the other.
Before you buy anything, ask the venue what it already holds and get the answer in writing. Many established hotels, pubs, and conference centres already hold a premises licence and TheMusicLicence that may cover your event — in which case you may not need your own. Rent a bare field, a community hall, or a dry-hire warehouse and the responsibility usually lands on you as the organiser.
For background music in a standard commercial setting — a cafe, salon, or shop rather than a one-off ticketed event — Sonosfera provides a business music service built for that use, and you can see the current plans on the Sonosfera pricing page. It is the day-to-day end of the same question: any time commercial music plays in public, someone needs the right permission for it. For a one-off event, though, your first stop is still your council for the TEN and PPL PRS for the music.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a temporary music licence cost?
There isn't a single flat figure — the cost depends on the event size, how long it runs, and how the music is used. A quiet background-music setup sits at the low end; a large live or DJ event costs more. Get a quote for your specific event by checking the current tariffs with PPL PRS rather than relying on a number you saw quoted for a different kind of event.
What music can I play without a licence?
Two main categories sidestep TheMusicLicence. Royalty-free music is licensed directly through the provider you subscribe to, who has already cleared the rights — so your agreement is with them. Public domain music has copyrights that have expired, though watch out: a specific recording of a public-domain work can still be protected even when the underlying composition isn't. If you're unsure whether a particular track is covered, treat it as licensable until you can confirm otherwise.
Can you be fined for not having a music licence?
Treat this as a rights problem, not a council-style fixed ticket. If you plan to play commercial music at an event, confirm the event position with PPL PRS before the event rather than trying to sort permission after the music has already been used. The practical takeaway is simple: check the licence route early, alongside the TEN route, so neither form surprises you at the end.
Does a TEN cover the music as well?
No. A TEN is purely a council permission for the regulated activity — alcohol, late-night food, or entertainment as an activity. It says nothing about copyright. You can hold a valid TEN and still be playing music you have no permission to play. The music is a separate check, handled through PPL PRS.
The checklist before you go ahead
Pull it together in four steps:
- Ask the venue what it already holds — a premises licence and TheMusicLicence — and get it in writing. Existing coverage may save you a form (or two).
- Count your expected attendees. Over 499 at once and a standard TEN won't work; you'll need a full premises licence instead.
- Look at your music plans. Recorded tracks, a DJ, or a live band playing other people's songs all need clearing through PPL PRS unless the venue's licence already covers your event.
- Mind the deadlines. Apply for the TEN in good time (at least 10 working days for the standard route) and sort the music licence before the event, not on the day.
Get those four answers and the rest of the planning is just logistics.
Sources
- Temporary Events Notice — GOV.UK — GOV.UK (UK Government)
- TheMusicLicence — PPL PRS — PPL PRS Ltd
- PPL PRS help and FAQs — PPL PRS Ltd
- Live events and festivals — TheMusicLicence — PPL PRS Ltd
For background music in a cafe, salon, or shop rather than a one-off event, you can start a free Sonosfera trial or view pricing.
