If the pub is paying the PRS for a license than they should be sending in PRS returns for the music performed there. If a list of what was sung, and the authors, was sent to PRS then PRS would in fact add a small amount to the accounts for all the songwriters who were PRS members.

Of course, the venue never actually fills in the PRS form details, but if it's a folk festival the performers fill in the details and hand it back to the festival organsisers, who then send a big bunch of paper to PRS, and the money gets paid eventually, maybe a year later.

Whether or not anyone thinks it's right, the PRS rule is that a venue is licensable even if no money changes hands in connection with the music, i.e. it makes no difference whether the performers are paid or whether any charge is made for admission.

Ruth A: PRS do pay arrangement royalties for performances of traditional material. In that case they are paid to the performer, just as they are when the performer is the songwriter.

Anahata