An organisation collecting royalties on behalf of musicians has grown "much more aggressive" in charging Maltese shops fees for playing music in their stores, the retailers' lobby has complained.

GRTU - Malta Chamber of SMEs said it had been "inundated" with complaints and queries over the past weeks related to fee collection by Performing Rights Society representatives.

The society collects yearly licence fees on behalf of musicians, composers and songwriters and is recognised by the Copyright Board as such.

Shop owners must pay a fee to play music on their premises, with the fee calculated according to the premises' size, type and extent to which music is being used there.

"The license fee could cost hundreds of Euros and runs in the thousands for larger establishments," the GRTU said in a statement. "In the case of restaurants, fees could go up to Eur8.24 per seat/cover annually just for background music, excluding additional fees in cases of live performances and other." 

The lobby group said it was concerned about the way in which tariffs were being drawn up, with PRS sending retailers a quotation "without recourse" and fees set with no "impact assessment on businesses" or consultation. The copyright board, the GRTU added, had no member representing the retail sector. 

"In this digital age where music is borderless and is available to anybody through the smartphone enterprises are finding having to pay for the use of this music incomprehensible," the group said. 

GRTU said it had written to the copyright board to request an urgent meeting about the matter. 

It urged members who had received correspondence of invoices from PRS to forward them to GRTU.