Record companies planning hike in rates charged to amateur dance classes Instructors currently pay annual fee but will change to payment per session Fears that community classes could be wiped out as obesity threat rises

By Sean Poulter

PUBLISHED: 20:55 EST, 4 January 2013 | UPDATED: 20:59 EST, 4 January 2013

Aerobics, fitness and Zumba classes held in village halls are under threat over plans for massive increases to the fees charged by record companies for the right to play music.

Currently, instructors play a flat annual fee for a licence to play music in their classes. However, from May this will change to a charge per session.

Some instructors are barely covering their costs and claim the decision will more than treble the fees they must pay to provide the pounding beats that drive their classes.

Threat: Community classes in village halls could be forced to close as record companies plan huge rises in fees charged to play music at classes

Community classes could be wiped out at a time when the threat of obesity and associated ill health, such as heart disease and diabetes, has never been greater.

The net effect of the new regime is that a busy instructor running 320 classes a year will see the annual bill rise from 178.66 plus VAT to just over 600 plus VAT by 2018.

At the same time, someone who runs fewer classes 150 a year - would see the cost rise from 89.33 plus VAT a year to 282 by 2018.

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Jump in music fees charged by record companies threatens village hall dance and aerobics classes