The Performing Rights Society for Music has launched legal proceedings against SoundCloud as explained in an email sent out to its members.

In the email, the body says that “after careful consideration, and following five years of unsuccessful negotiations, we now find ourselves in a situation where we have no alternative but to commence legal proceedings against SoundCloud.” The organisation’s main issue with the streaming service is that it “continues to deny it needs a PRS for Music licence for its existing service available in the UK and Europe, meaning it is not remunerating our members.”

PRS identifies 4,500 particular pieces of music by its members which are available on SoundCloud, saying that “we asked them to take a licence to cover the use of all our members’ repertoire or otherwise stop infringing.”

The email continues: “Ultimately, it is SoundCloud’s decision as to whether it starts paying for the ongoing use of our members’ music or stops using these works entirely.”

This move comes at a bad time for Soundcloud which is facing an increasing amount of criticism over recent high-profile takedowns of material uploaded by users of the service due to, it seems, pressure from major labels including Sony. Accounts, such as those of Radar Radio and Dummy, were temporarily or entirely taken down as a result.