Music licence for dance classes: a dance teacher’s guide

Picture your Saturday tap class without its favourite track. Music is at the heart of every class we teach, and our street dance teams love working to the latest releases. Licensing that music is one of the simplest ways we can support the people who make it.

If you teach in a church hall, a community centre or your own studio, you’ll usually need a music licence for dance classes. This Teach.Dance guide covers what that means, what it costs and how it works for classes, shows and online lessons. This is general guidance, not legal advice. For your own situation, check with PPL PRS directly.

Why dance classes need a music licence

The law here is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Put simply, you need permission from the people who create music to play or perform it in public. PPL PRS explains this in its guide to TheMusicLicence. Broadly speaking, playing music outside a home counts as playing it in public.

Buying a track lets you listen to it at home for your own use. Playing it to a room full of dancers is a public performance, so it needs a licence.

Who PPL and PRS for Music are

There are two organisations behind the licence. PPL represents record companies and performers, for the use of recorded music. PRS for Music represents songwriters, composers and music publishers. Since 2018 they’ve worked together through PPL PRS Ltd, so you get one licence and one invoice, called TheMusicLicence. After PPL PRS covers its business costs, the fees go back to the people who make the music.

Freelance teachers in halls and community centres

If you hire a church hall or community centre for your classes, PPL PRS is clear: you need a music licence in place. Its page on music licensing for fitness, exercise and dance classes explains how it works.

The good news is that it’s affordable. PPL PRS says dance classes start from 26p per day. Its worked example is a dance instructor running three classes a week for 50 weeks of the year. Each class has 20 participants and runs in a village hall or community centre. That comes to £96.24 a year, or 64p per class, plus VAT. PPL PRS says the example was correct as of July 2026 and that costs are subject to change.

When you ask for a quote, have two numbers ready: how many classes you hold a year, and your total attendance across the year.

Work out your numbers

Here’s how the PPL PRS example adds up:

• Classes: 3 classes a week for 50 weeks is 150 classes a year.
• Attendance: 20 dancers in each of those 150 classes is 3,000 attendances.

Swap in your own timetable and class sizes, and you’ll have both numbers ready for your quote.

Running your own studio

Running your own premises works a little differently. Once you have TheMusicLicence for your studio, you’re licensed to play music to your staff, customers and members on your premises. That covers the music in your classes and any background music in reception. The PPL PRS page on licensing for gyms, fitness and dance studios has the detail.

The cost depends on how you use music, so PPL PRS works it out as a quote. For a dance studio, its quote checklist asks for:

• the number of hours music is played in the studio each week
• the number of lessons or classes a year
• the number of social dances held a year.

That last one matters if you run a ballroom tea dance or a Latin social night alongside your classes.

Good news for exam classes

Here’s some good news if you prepare students for exams. PRS for Music has a discretionary policy for dance schools that aren’t classed as educational establishments under the Act. It covers music played in a lesson or exam leading to a qualification aligned with the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) at Level 1 or above. For those sessions, PRS says it won’t charge under the relevant tariff. You’ll find the detail on the same PPL PRS dance classes page.

That policy covers the PRS for Music part of the licence only, and it depends on the qualification being RQF aligned. Not every dance exam or course is. If you think it applies to your graded exam classes, mention it when you ask for your quote.

Shows, performances and events

Your end of year show usually happens somewhere else, so the licensing picture changes. A good first step is to ask your venue what its licence already covers. PPL PRS also has a page on music licensing for theatres and shows. Two points are worth knowing before you plan the programme:

• Story ballets and musicals. PPL PRS doesn’t license “grand rights”. These include staging all or part of a musical, and using PRS controlled music in a ballet with a story, plot or abstract idea. For those, you’ll need permission from the copyright holder.
• Songs from shows. PPL PRS can license individual songs from musicals, as long as the performance doesn’t suggest the original show through costume, characterisation, choreography or props.

If you don’t hold TheMusicLicence and you’re planning a one-off event, PPL PRS can arrange a temporary permit. If you already have a licence, you can ask it to add the event to your music usage. If children in your show need performance licences too, our guide to dance school shows and BOPA covers that side.

Online classes and streaming apps

Some of us still teach classes online. The PPL PRS guidance on online fitness and dance classes describes two measures. PPL’s temporary home streaming policy lets instructors who already hold TheMusicLicence use PPL recorded music in classes streamed live to clients’ homes. PPL says it applies from 23 March 2020 to 31 December 2026. For the PRS for Music side, there’s a Digital Music Licence for Fitness and Dance, which covers live streaming and on demand classes.

Planning online classes for 2027? Check the latest position with PPL PRS and PRS for Music before the end of the year.

A quick word on streaming apps. PPL PRS says playing music in your business may need a commercial streaming service. Before you press play in class, check that the platform’s terms allow commercial use.

Royalty free music and edited tracks

If you use royalty free music, you may not need TheMusicLicence for that music. PPL PRS suggests asking your supplier to confirm the music isn’t covered by PPL PRS. Then send that confirmation to PPL PRS so it can update your records.

Copying music is a different question from playing it. PPL’s page on music services and dubbing explains how licensed suppliers copy recorded music to create specialist playlists, including programmes for aerobics instructors. If you edit or copy tracks for routines, ask PPL how that’s licensed. For the creative side, our post on team music mixing has practical tips.

A simple music licence check

Getting licensed is quick once you know what you need. Here’s a simple checklist:

1. Note where you teach. Your own studio, hired halls, schools or online.
2. Count your classes. Work out how many you run a year and roughly how many dancers attend.
3. Think about extras. Background music, social dances, shows and online classes all count as music use.
4. Get a quote. Contact PPL PRS by phone or through its online form.
5. Keep it up to date. Most licences renew automatically. Tell PPL PRS when your music use changes, such as a new class or an extra event.

You can call PPL PRS on 0116 290 0525 (8am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 3pm on Friday). If you’re updating your studio terms and conditions this autumn, it’s a good moment to add your licence renewal to the same yearly review.

Quick FAQ

I only play the radio in reception. Do I still need a licence?
Usually, yes. PPL PRS explains that radio stations pay to broadcast, but that doesn’t cover playing the radio in public, such as on business premises.

I teach on my own. Does that make a difference?
PPL PRS has a discretionary policy of not charging home workers working alone, or workplaces with one worker. It covers cases where music isn’t made available to visitors or customers. A dance class has dancers in the room, so this policy is unlikely to fit. Check with PPL PRS if you’re unsure.

Is the licence fee a tax?
No. PPL PRS says its fees are not a form of tax. After its business costs, the money goes to PPL and PRS for Music, which pay the music creators they represent.

What’s the quickest way to get started?
Count your classes and dancers for the year, then ask PPL PRS for a quote by phone or online. Prices and policies change, so it’s worth checking the current details each year.

Teach.Dance · For Teachers, By Teachers