New regulations have been gazetted requiring organisers of weddings, parties, corporate functions, DJ shows, and even banks and supermarkets to obtain a licence to play music, in a move aimed at protecting intellectual property rights.
The rules, introduced by the Association of Creators and Publishers of Sri Lanka (ACPOSL) under the National Intellectual Property Office (NIPO), came into effect last Tuesday.
Hotels and institutions have been informed that licences must be obtained for musical events, with fees ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 125,000, depending on the size of the audience.
Initially, the licensing applies to Sri Lankan musical works represented by ACPOSL and Hindi and Tamil works represented through the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS). Events exclusively featuring English or other foreign music will not require a licence.
According to ACPOSL, the requirement covers a wide range of functions including weddings, receptions, private parties, corporate events, dinner dances, award ceremonies, product launches, promotional events, conferences with musical entertainment, DJ shows, live band performances, hybrid events, concerts, and music-focused shows.
For DJ events, fees are set at Rs. 20,000 for under 100 persons, Rs. 30,000 for 100–300 persons, and Rs. 40,000 for over 300 persons. Live music events in the same categories will cost Rs. 25,000, Rs. 35,000, and Rs. 50,000 respectively. Private or corporate DJ events will require Rs. 25,000, Rs. 40,000, and Rs. 50,000, while hybrid or live corporate events will cost Rs. 50,000, Rs. 75,000, and Rs. 125,000.
According to the Sunday Times, ACPOSL Chairman Nilar N. Cassim said the regulation was introduced to ensure royalties are properly distributed to composers, lyricists, and publishers, who often go uncredited compared to singers. He stressed the scheme is primarily aimed at commercially organised events, with exemptions for small‑scale artists in certain cases.
Under the regulations, hotels must not permit events without an ACPOSL licence, and organisers must provide an audio recording after the event to identify the music played.
The licensing scheme also extends to supermarkets, banks, retail stores, shopping malls, cinemas, office buildings, and transport vehicles such as buses, coaches, tourist vans, and passenger trains.
Annual licences will be issued for commercial premises, with rates varying by area size and local authority jurisdiction. (Newswire)
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