Think you’re paying enough to go clubbing already? Well get ready to pay more with the news that industry body Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) has won its legal fight to raise music licensing fees for recorded music, meaning that both nightclubs and dance music will have to pay more per punter for every night or event where recorded music is played. This will surely pass onto higher club entry and ticket prices; but is it a loss for clubbers or a win for producers?

Following a ruling by the Copyright Tribunal of Australia yesterday, the fees paid by venues that play recorded music will rise from its former flat rate of seven cents per patron per song, to a rate that can go as high as $3.07 per person depending on the scale of the event. Breaking it down, clubs will now pay a licence fee of $1.05 a person based on the club’s capacity, which means that a club that holds 1000 people for instance will pay $1100, even if the venue is only half filled for the evening.

The rate paid by dance party organisers will now rise from 20 cents to $3.07 cents per person, with a ‘dance party’ defined as a one off or occasional event and not held regularly at a nightclub’s premises. The Tribunal claimed that in its decision that it had found a rate of reparation for artists that delivers the fair market price for the privilege of playing the recorded music.

“If it be the fact that the market rate is 30 times the rate that has hitherto been charged… that is no reason why it should not now charge that rate.”

ITM has spoken to Australian promoters to get both sides of the story, click HERE to read the feature or discuss it in the forums HERE .