1. Do I Need a Music Licence for My Business?

Do I Need a Music Licence for My Business?

A licence is almost always required to play music in a public space. Playing music publicly is called ‘public performance’ and, unlike when playing music at home or in the car in your personal time, it requires permission from the owners of the copyright in that music.


Music licensing is as crucial as any other service and legal requirement that businesses need to arrange. Failure to comply may result in legal action.

Getting a licence also ensures music creators are rightly paid for their creations. They rely on compensation for the services they provide, just as a business does. Read more in our Frequently Asked Questions.

Cartoon depiction of Five people engaged in music-making. From left to right: one plays a keyboard, another holds an acoustic guitar, a third holds an electric guitar, the fourth uses a laptop with headphones, and the fifth operates a laptop connected to a mixing console or synthesizer.
What is OneMusic Australia?

The law of music licensing

In Australia, the Copyright Act (1968) makes it a legal requirement to first seek permission to play music in a business/commercial setting regardless of what industry you operate in or how you play music

Music means business

All the many thousands of businesses in Australia that have a OneMusic licence have legal access to the majority of the world’s music and they are part of the music economy that allows even more music to be created. Read more.

Audoo Audio Meters

New technology adopted in Australia to help emerging, mid-career, or heritage music creators get paid their share of music license fees businesses pay to OneMusic.

Where do music licence fees actually go?

OneMusic keeps track of the music being played in a huge database drawn from radio and television stations, performance reports, streaming services, music recognition software like Audoo and data from background music suppliers. Read more

How can I tell if OneMusic is legitimate?

We've compiled the necessary information to help you understand how OneMusic operates, its legitimacy, and what to look out for when dealing with music licensing in Australia. Read more.