Arrangements are not covered by PRS, and songs listed as trad/arr on CDs are not subject to PRS.

PRS ensures money goes to the people who have written the songs. This is their "product"; they get paid when it is used. If a song has no attributable source, it is not subject to PRS.

As someone has said, you can pay the annual PRS membership fee to cover you if you run a pub or club, which is cheaper than paying per event.

"its sad when musicians want to protect their music so much..at the end of the day, they should remember their roots."

Songs are registered with PRS, who then collect the money due from the venue, regardless of its size or profit margin. This is not a choice made by the indivisual artists. They can't say, "Collect my rights from that big venue, but leave that little folk club alone."