Whilst something as simple as popping the radio on in your salon might seem harmless enough, did you know that you could potentially face a hefty fine if you don’t have an official music license? Alternatively, perhaps you haven’t considered the data responsibility that falls on you as a business owner if you also offer free WiFi in your salon?
As is the case if you serve alcohol in your salon, if you play music in your salon, show tv programmes, or offer WiFi in your hair salon, beauty salon or barbershop, you must be able to present a relevant and up to date licence at any given time. In today’s article, we discuss the exact licenses you need for all of the above.
Music, TV & Wifi Licences In Your Salon – Which do you need?
Do I need a TV licence for my salon business?
Some salons have televisions in their reception area, or if they are really fancy, we’ve seen some salons that have individual flatscreen televisions at each treatment station! Regardless of where it is, if you have a television in your salon, you must have a television licence in place if you are broadcasting or recording tv programmes on any channel.
What you may not know, is that you also need a television license if your staff or clients use their own mobile or tablet devices to watch television programmes while in the salon. It’s important to note that a television licence does not automatically give you the legal right to play music channels and/or the radio on your television. You need a separate music license for this which will discuss below.
Do I need a music licence for my salon?
If you play music in your salon, the UK law states that you must have a license to do so. A single music licence, aptly named ‘The Music Licence‘ is available from the official governing body, PPL PPRs Ltd.
The price of this license can depend on how many salon chairs you have. The license allows you to play commercially released music from the UK and worldwide and that includes live performances! Failure to have an up to date ‘Music Licence‘ is a copyright infringement and makes you vulnerable to being sued. Haven’t got a licence? Make it a priority to get one today!
Discover: How salon music can create a welcoming atmosphere
I offer my clients free WiFi in my salon, Do I need a licence for that?
Providing WiFi in your salon or barbershop is a brilliant way to cater to those clients who need to work whilst they’re in the chair! Not to mention the perfect way to encourage clients to share their treatments on social media! And whilst this is a fantastic offering, if you provide free guest WiFi to clients, you must be explicit about what data you are collecting from users, why you are collecting it and how it will be used.
Remember! GDPR states that if you are collecting data for marketing/communication purposes, you must give clients the option to opt in/ opt out. Make sure you comply with GDPR by registering with the ICO as a free WiFi provider.
We hope you have found our guide useful when it comes to the correct licenses you need in your salon business!
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