How to avoid paying a music licence

There are other options available if you want to avoid paying a music licence.

You can avoid paying a music licence by:

• striking a deal with the songwriters, music publishers, record labels and recording artists direct yourself
• only playing music that no one (yet) has the authority to license: where none of the people involved in the song belong to a music rights management organisation. This might be a song your cousin made up on the spot and he is playing it live in your bar or in a fitness class at the gym you own
• only playing legitimate, verified royalty-free music, this represents a tiny per cent of music available
• having someone play something really, really old, live (something that is out of the copyright protection period in all countries around the world). Remember, only playing live music, not playing music recorded on CD, vinyl or music that is streamed. The recording itself might still be in copyright
• signing up to a background music supplier (some bundle the cost of your music licence in their charges to you)
• turning off the music (but think of your customers or staff!)

More questions? Head here: https://onemusic.com.au/faqs/