THE MULTIMILLION-pound benefit of music played in public has been revealed ahead of the Brighton Music Conference.

Music licensing company PPL, responsible for collecting revenues for members, performers and record companies, paid out £6.5 million to Brighton and Hove business in the last five years.

The company will appear at Brighton Music Conference later this week, and has tipped revenues to be a hot topic for discussion as physical sales decline.

Royalties achieved when music is played in public such as in shops, restaurants and bars, have become increasingly important to artists trying to make a living from the music business.

Brighton Music Conference, held at Brighton Dome on Friday and Saturday, brings together influential experts from across the UK to discuss the latest forward thinking ideas and explore the most pressing issues affecting today’s music industry professionals.

Pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, shops, offices and many other business types across the city have a worldwide reputation for championing great music. Latest research from trade body UK Music, founded in 2013, states that tourists visiting the South East especially for music, spent more than £130 million on items such as food, drink and accommodation.

Small businesses agreed revenue from music played in public was a crucial part of their income.

Dan Stockland, manager of Norman Cook’s Big Beach Café in Hove, said: “Music is a huge part of our business. We play it 100% of the time. Norman spends hours putting playlists together to ensure we are offering the right mix to our clients. We want to offer a range of music that appeals to all ages.

“Music is such an important part of our business over summer. We invest in DJ sets that are family friendly to appeal to our customers and enhance their experience. Our customers love it.”

Paul Jonas, director and co-founder of Brighton based independent label Tru Thoughts Records, said: “It’s always great to hear local businesses playing and championing music created by local performers as well as those from further afield.

“The income we receive from music played in public means that as an independent label we can continue to support the acts we represent and keep putting exciting new music out there.”

David Cawley, director and co-founder of independent Brighton label FatCat Records, added: “As a small business ourselves, we would never be able to collect revenue from every business each time one of our tracks was played in public in our local neighbourhood, in the UK, or even overseas.”

The relationship between local businesses and music industry professionals and the importance of royalties will be discussed at the Brighton Music Conference on Saturday.