Are You Doing Things Legally?
Many business owners are unaware that you do have to pay for licenses to PPL, IPRS and ISRA for the rights to play music at the retail store. There are exceptions, but they’re few and don’t apply to most businesses. If you think it’s unbelievable that playing overhead music in your business can be illegal, you aren’t alone. Business owners, especially small business owners, don’t realize you can be sued for playing copyright music.
Copyright societies like PPL, IPRS and ISRA are actively suing businesses for playing copyright protected songs in their establishments.
Gaana, an iPod playlist, Saavn, or maybe sounds from the television cut through the silence and fill the room with music. And just like that — you may have put your business in a position to be sued for lakhs of rupees.
In other words, You may be breaking music licensing laws if you broadcast music in your business by -
- Playing songs from a personal device such as an iPod
- Playing music from purchased audio files such as CDs or MP3s
- Playing songs from a streaming service such as Gaana or Saavn Featuring live music by performers who play covers
- Broadcasting the sound from televised programming
If you are doing any of these actions in your establishment without the proper licensing, you could be sued for playing copyright music. You need to review music licensing rules and make sure you aren’t breaking them.
All “public performances, ” which is playing music in a public place, requires licensing. To get that licensing, you can either:
Obtain a blanket license through PPL, IPRS and ISRA societies. The cost of the license depends on the occupancy of the establishment and can cover both live and recorded music.
— — — — — — — — — — — OR — — — — — — — — — — —
Work with a full service music provider who can manage licensing for you. When you hire a professional music provider like Musicwhim, you’ll be completely covered as part of your service agreement.
If you’re a business looking to enhance your customers’ shopping experience, visit https://musicwhim.com today.
Credits: Spectrio.com, tampabay.com
