Yes but there are different types of requirement. By statute - no Premises Licence permission for regulated entertainment - then no regulated entertainment can take place.

But this optional permission will not directly cost Sam Smiths any more - if they apply with their initial Premises Licenses. This does not mean that they then have to provide any regulated entertainment - but they will then have the choice to provide it and the choice to pay for PRS/PPL or not.

What we have here is a situation where because they do not wish to pay for PRS/PPL - they appear to see little point in applying for entertainment permission. So as a result of this (protest) they will not be able to have any music - even music that PRS/PPL have no rightful claim on.

For PRS/PPL it must surely hold true that if they claim that payment is due to them for the playing of a particular piece of music - it should be up to them to prove this case? It may be true for recorded music but if the unpaid sessions consist of tradiional, orginal or other non-copyright material - there is nothing stopping Sam Smiths from providing this.

Except the lack of Premises Licence entertainment permission.