BBC agrees music payment deal with Eos for Welsh artists

A copyright tribunal ruled in 2013 the BBC had to pay Eos £100,000 a year

The body representing Welsh musicians has signed a contract with the BBC regarding payments to its artists.

It comes after a 2013 copyright tribunal ruled the broadcaster should pay Eos £100,000 a year for the right to use the songs of its members.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We welcome the fact that we have come to an agreement with Eos and we look forward to working with them."

The dispute arose from a change by the Performing Right Society (PRS) in 2007.

Many Welsh language artists claimed the change cut their royalty payments by as much as 85%.

Royalty fees

Around 300 musicians who broke away from PRS, after claiming Welsh language musicians were being paid substantially less than their English language counterparts, were represented by Eos.

Eos wanted the BBC to pay more in royalty fees.

However, the BBC said a substantial offer it had made to Eos in 2012 had been rejected.

Then, on New Year's Day 2013, Eos withdrew permission for the BBC to play its members' music.

Six weeks later, it made an interim agreement allowing BBC Radio Cymru to resume its normal schedule.

A tribunal into the matter was held in Caernarfon in September 2013, during which the BBC said it was only prepared to pay £100,000.

The final ruling said the BBC must pay £100,000 per annum, excluding VAT.