Learn which music licences aren’t covered by OneMusic, how other organisations manage them, and what exemptions or complimentary licences may apply.
A OneMusic licence does not give you all the permissions you need to use copyright-protected music in a video for your business.
To create a video containing copyright-protected music and then post it online, there are two areas of music copyright that require permission from the copyright owner:
Synchronisation (sync) rights
Permission needs to be provided by a music copyright owner before music can be copied into a video. This copyright is referred to as a ‘synchronisation’ or ‘sync’ right and it belongs to the owner of the copyright in that music.
So, if you want to create a video for your business using copyright-protected music, you must first get permission for the ‘sync’ from the copyright owners of both:
OneMusic does not license these rights, so for more information about how to obtain ‘synchronisation’ rights or any other licensing of music in audio-visual material, please see the APRA AMCOS website.
Communication and reproduction rights
When a video ‘synched’ with music is then streamed online, the operators of the platform or service that is streaming the video will also need permission to deliver those videos to users.
In Australia, the right to stream musical works contained in videos is held by APRA on behalf of its own members and its international partners, such as overseas collecting societies. APRA AMCOS issue licenses to those services that allow them to stream (and where necessary copy) musical works in Australia.
APRA AMCOS licenses YouTube and Facebook directly for the ‘streaming’ of videos. This means that once you’ve cleared ‘sync’ rights with the copyright owners, no communication licence is required for you to upload a video directly to those licensed services.
APRA AMCOS and PPCA each grant a complimentary licence for music played during worship services. Whether music is being performed live, or played from a recording, you will not need to pay for a licence for the performance our music in a worship service.
Music licensing will be required for uses of music in religious settings if it is being used for purposes that are not worship service. This includes community and social events held on church grounds; youth group activities in mosques or synagogues, or for any concerts being held. A music licence will also be required if any worship service contains music and is being streamed online.
The Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) represents APRA AMCOS for the purposes of licensing the public performance and streaming of musical works in churches.
CCLI has 5 licences available:
For more information, please see the CCLI website.
CCLI licences do not cover the use of recordings of music. If you are playing musical recordings in activities outside of a worship service, you may require additional licensing through OneMusic. The use of PPCA’s musical recordings during non-worship service events, such as youth groups, choir or band performances, can be licensed under the OneMusic Community Music Groups licence or, if admission fees are being charged or professional performers receiving payment, a OneMusic Event licence.
If a property used for worship services is hired out to third parties, or it includes a café, function centre or child care facility, or is involved with any other type of business that has a purpose beyond worship services, additional music licensing may be needed when OneMusic's repertoire is played.
OneMusic considers the playing or performing of musical works and/or musical recordings during a wedding ceremony to be a ‘domestic’ use of music and, as a result, does not seek a OneMusic public performance music licence used for that purpose.
However, when musical works and/or musical recordings are played or performed at a dedicated wedding reception venue, OneMusic would expect that venue to hold a OneMusic Function, Convention and Conference Centres Licence. Without the venue holding a public performance music licence, music used at wedding receptions may be infringing copyright.
APRA AMCOS and ARIA together offer a low-cost licensing solution for getting permission to incorporate music into films of weddings and similar events when they are made solely for the purpose of domestic viewing.
OneMusic grants a complimentary APRA licence for the public performance of musical works when performed for one-on-one music tuition. This includes individual singing lessons and instrument instruction in person or online.
Music licensing will still be required for group lessons, classes and workshops and where music is used to teach other activities such as dance or personal fitness.
The complimentary licence provided to teachers does not extend to the performance of music at concerts or other end-of-term events open to the general public, such as recitals. Nor does it authorise creating copies of musical recordings to provide to students.
To cover these specific music uses, the Dance Schools and Performance Instructors Licence applies.
Not all performances of music within aged care homes or retirement villages require a licence from OneMusic. If the use of music is “domestic” in nature, such as being used in non-communal areas such as bedrooms or private residences, then a public performance music licence is not required. However, for communal or public areas, such as hairdressers or movie rooms or reception areas, a OneMusic licence will be required.
Record stores can be provided with a complimentary licence if 80% or more of the goods they sell is music – that is music in the form of vinyl records, CDs, DVDS, and tapes.
