FAQ - License Application
Every musical in our catalogue is protected under Copyright law. Before you can produce one of our musicals, you must obtain a performing licence. A licence grants you rights to perform the show and outlines all fees. You should always obtain written confirmation of a musical’s availability from Music Theatre International (Europe) before planning a production or announcing a season. After creating a show, theatre writers copyright their work, protecting their ownership and enabling only them or their representatives (in this case, MTI Europe) to decide: who may perform the show, where it may be performed and what licence fees will be required. On the authors’ behalf, MTI Europe grants a licence for organisations to produce the show and collects a fee, known as a royalty, for all performances. Built into every licence is specific language that governs how the copyrighted work may be presented.
Our responsibilities include enforcing copyright law as it pertains to live stage performances (prohibiting changes to the script or score, monitoring unlicensed productions, etc), promoting and engaging new productions of shows and to ensure all funds owed are paid to the relevant writers/original rights holders.
The cost of a licence is made up of a number of components:
1) Royalty fee (per performance). There are usually two options – a percentage royalty or a minimum per performance – you would pay whichever is the greater of the two
Royalties are the authors’ way of being paid for the use of their show (their "intellectual property"). The authors of a musical may include the bookwriter (who writes the dialogue), the composer (who writes the music), and the lyricist (who writes the words to the music). Their right to be paid for use of their work is guaranteed by the copyright laws of this and other countries and is the basis of theatrical licensing.
2) Hire fees. Using the fees published on each show page you are able to work out how much you would pay. The standard rehearsal package MUST be hired with all performing licences (where applicable).
Rental fees are charged for the materials we supply to your theatre organisation in conjunction with a performance licence. These materials include the performance materials (scripts, scores, etc.) and the MTI Theatrical Resources.
3) Theatrical resources/video licence (optional)
4) Postage and packaging
5) V.A.T. (payable on the royalty fee)
Should you wish to check availability before applying please contact us
You can apply for a performing licence by clicking here
We recommend that you do not apply for a performing licence until you have read and understood the various fees and materials available for the show you’re interested in staging. These are available on each show’s individual website page.
Once an application has been submitted one of our licensing team will be in touch from anywhere between 30minutes up to 10 working days. You will receive an automatic email from our website detailing whether your application has been successful. If we’re unable to license your production you will always be given a reason.
If successful, you will receive your Performance Agreement after a few minutes of the automatic email. This Agreement needs to be counter-signed and returned to us immediately.
IMPORTANT: we are unable to provide any hire materials to you until we have received the counter-signed Performance Agreement at our offices.
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Did you see our latest news earlier in the week? Chitty flies again! We're thrilled to announce that rights to the full, 2-act version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang are now available without restrictions for performances scheduled to take place before 31st December 2023. Applications for 2024 are currently restricted to those in venues of less than 500 seats. Apply today! www.mtishows.co.uk/chitty-chitty-bang-bang #chittychittybangbang #newrelease #trulyscrumptious
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Xanadu is now available for licensing! You have to believe we are magic... Xanadu is a moving, electrifying tale of endless fun that will keep audiences in stitches, while the original, legendary chart-topping tunes lift them out of their seats. Find out more: www.mtishows.co.uk/xanadu #xanadu #newshow #amateurtheatre #licensing #olivianewtonjohn #strangemagic
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Bravo to everyone at @_spotlight.theatre who went Into the Woods at Nottingham Arts Theatre earlier in the month. These photos look great! Photo credit: Martin Holtom. #intothewoods #nottingham #amateurtheatre #amdram
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A huge congratulations to everyone at @green_room_productions on their hugely successful production of Sunshine on Leith. We really would have walked 500 miles to grab a ticket. #sunshineonleith #pottersbar #amateurtheatre #wyllyotts
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As schools across the UK and Europe wind down for the Summer holidays we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate the incredible teachers everywhere who make musical theatre happen year after year. To those teachers we say: you are an inspiration! We had close to 100 of these incredible teachers take part in this years Junior Theatre Festival, so lets enjoy the special teacher number from that days awards ceremony. #teachers #jtf22 #musicaltheatre #schoolshow #inspiration #education #broadwayjr
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We love these production shots of Disneys The Little Mermaid JR from @pqanorthampton #merfolk #thelittlemermaidjr #performingarts #disney #broadwayjr
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Bravo to @curtaincallshrewsbury on their production of Roald Dahls Matilda the Musical JR. Theyre currently having the best time working on the show, and these wonderful photos prove it! Enjoy your final performances. #matildajr #broadwayjr #shrewsbury #roalddahl #youththeatre #maggots
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WHAT A PICTURE We'll definitely be sticking these in the family album A few snaps from @haslemereplayers dress rehearsal of KIPPS - The New Half a Sixpence Musical which runs at Haslemere Hall this week. Break a leg! #kipps #kippshalfasixpence #haslemere #haslemerehall #surreytheatre #surrey
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Do you love musicals and want to work at MTI? We're searching for a new Licensing Assistant / Receptionist. The successful candidate will be required to work from our newly refurbished office in London at 12-14 Mortimer Street, W1T 3JJ. The core duties/responsibilities will include: Reception duties: * answering a busy telephone switchboard * greeting all visitors to the office Amateur Licensing support: * show availability requests * answering basic enquiries both via phone and in email * general administrative support as required Professional Licensing support: * general enquiries * generation of invoices as per instructions from the Professional Licensing team * vetting of foreign language translations The successful candidate will have a keen interest in musical theatre (on or off stage) and have excellent administrative skills. For full details visit: https://www.mtishows.co.uk/.../job-vacancy-licensing... #vacancy #licensing #receptionist #job #musicals #opportunity
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JTF is making the news! @skynews @fyi_skykids came to Birmingham last month to share the power of jazz hands and spirit fingers with a wider audience. The JTF piece will air Saturday at 10:30 and 16:30 and then on Sunday at 10:30. We can't wait! Check out this sneak peak, which follows Timi from The British Theatre Academy. #jtf22 #news #jazzhands #broadwayjr
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