BBC (TV and Radio) Agreement
Updated: 12 September 2025 | 11:50 AM
Agreement
The agreement between BBC and the MU applies to in-house BBC productions, and sets out the minimum terms and conditions for engaging session musicians for BBC TV and Radio content. The agreement covers:
- Live sessions and the broadcasting of BBC and non-BBC events (e.g. Radio 1 Live Lounge, 6 Music sessions, Later with Jools Holland, Strictly Come Dancing, Glastonbury, BBC Proms)
- musicians engaged to record specially composed music (e.g. titles, jingles or incidental music)
- the reuse of existing performance footage
- BBC Public Service rights (TV, Radio, online, iPlayer etc)
- secondary exploitation of musicians’ performances e.g. TV sales, DVD and DTO (Download To Own)
- rates for signed bands and artists (Established Self-Contained Groups).
Please note that recordings created for BBC Studios are now paid and contracted under the BBC Studios / MU Agreement addendum.
Rates of pay for BBC session musicians taking place from 1 July 2025
Basic 3 hour recording session fees:
| Type |
Fee |
Overtime |
| Television |
£257.00 |
£26.00 per 15 mins |
| Radio |
£87.00 |
£10.00 per 15 mins |
Recording for programmes that are not for full network broadcast may be paid at a discounted rate.
Multiple use recording fees
| Scale |
Fee per hour |
Minimum Fee |
Overtime (per 15 mins) |
| 1 |
£145.00 |
£434.00 |
£41.00 |
| 2 |
£108.00 |
£324.00 |
£32.00 |
| 3 |
£96.00 |
£287.00 |
£29.00 |
| 4 |
£74.00 |
£223.00 |
£21.00 |
Additional fees
| Doubling |
Trebling |
Overdubbing |
| Plus 10% of session fee |
Plus 20% of session fee |
Plus 110% of session fee per overdub |
Porterage
| Group A |
Group B |
Group C |
Group D |
| £23.00 |
£19.00 |
£12.00 |
By Negotiation |