Following negotiations with performing rights organizations including The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP); Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI); and The Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) has announced it will be able to keep rates steady for members enrolled in the 2021 ARVC Combined Music License Program.
“It has been a challenging year across the board, so we fought to pass on as much savings as possible to our members,” said ARVC President and CEO Paul Bambei. “Keeping music licensing rates the same into 2021 does just that, allowing parks to be able to best afford this necessary license to help them create profitable experiences at their parks. We already made sure we offered the best prices and protection in the industry, with significant savings on what is offered at standard prices, but we are thrilled that we are able to work with the PROs to keep rates steady in 2021.”
ARVC members save 25-50 percent on the annual licensing rate for ASCAP and BMI and 20 percent on the annual licensing rate for SESAC.
“The savings that we have experienced with the ARVC Combined Music Licensing Program hands down cover the cost of our dues to ARVC,” says Michelle Wilcox, of ARVC member-park Gateway Park Campground in Hillsdale, Michigan.
The ARVC Combined Music License allows a park to play copyrighted music in public, whether the music played is pre-recorded and played over speakers by the pool, played on the radio at registration or live at karaoke.
Performing rights organizations initiate random checks nationwide, and parks caught playing music without a proper music licenses may be subject to copyright fines as high as $150,000 per violation.
“Getting an ARVC Combined Music License was a smart decision for us,” says Mari Garland, owner of ARVC member-park Junction West RV Park in Grand Junction, Colo. “Now, we can play all kinds of music in the office and at our events, and we don’t ever have to worry about incurring fines for copyright violations.”
An ARVC Music License can generate revenue from musical events like concerts, parties or celebrations.
“Comparing the cost of a license against the cost of a fine, it’s easy to see the value, but it’s even easier to see the opportunity when you compare the cost of the license to the revenue that can be made from ancillary events,” says David Basler, ARVC’s vice president of membership and marketing.
ARVC has exclusive agreements with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. The ARVC Combined Music License covers ASCAP and BMI, which represent 95 percent of the worldwide portfolio of music. ARVC has also contracted with SESAC, the only privately-held performing rights organization of the three.
Licensing through ARVC protects a park owner from being contacted an owner’s park will be protected by a performing rights organization for the entire calendar year that the owner is licensed.
The open enrollment period for a 2021 ARVC Combined Music License runs from August 1-December 4, 2020. Parks that are currently enrolled in the ARVC Combined Music Licensing program for 2020 received renewal instruction via email on August 3 and can pay renewal invoices through the ARVC member portal.
ARVC members without music licensees can click here to enroll.
Parks interested in ARVC membership and benefiting from the exclusive ARVC Combined Music Licensing Program can contact the ARVC Membership Department.
ARVC is a national association dedicated to representing the interests and needs of private RV parks and campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada. The organization provides its nearly 3,000 members access to continuing education, networking, business and marketing tools, member-only benefits and discounts, and advocacy at the local, state and national levels.
