The use of copyright music, whether through live performance or the playing of a recording in public, is often subject to licensing fees. These fees are collected and managed by agencies such as PRS for Music (UK) or IMRO (RoI). Your group or venue might require a license if you make use of music that is under copyright.

In this Briefing, we navigate the potentially confusing territory of copyright licensing to give you the information you need to decide what kind of license, if any, your group might need. Among the topics covered are:

• Copyright in compostion
• Copyright in recording
• Community buildings licences
• Music rights organisations
• Common PRS Tariffs for venues

Download Briefing 165: Using copyright music