To play music at your political campaign, you will need to make a request to the rights holder in advance to playing their music, as it will be under copyright law. During elections, you may want to include a catchy walk on song or a fun jingle to resonate with your party and make it a memorable campaign.
The creators of this music will be protected Under The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, meaning the creators and rights holders have the exclusive right to choose how their work is used, including public performances.
By contacting the relevant people and seeking permission, it ensures the music aspect of your campaign is all above board and legally compliant. By making the request before using their music, it’ll prevent potential distributions or negative connotations by using unauthorised music.
Terms & Conditions of TheMusicLicence, administered by PPL PRS Ltd, explicitly exclude the political use of music without the permission of the relevant rights owners.
The responsibility for obtaining the Music Licence depends on where the performance takes place:
If the performance is within premises covered by TheMusicLicence for background music (e.g. a hotel, pub, conference centre), the venue is responsible for obtaining the licence.
If the performance is in a venue or area not normally licensed (e.g. a park or street), the candidate or party should obtain TheMusicLicence directly from PPL PRS Ltd after securing permission from rights owners.
For more advice on navigating the use of music in political campaigns, you can read more from PPL as they further outline the specific terms and conditions of using music within a political campaign.