Any business that wishes to use music either in its waiting areas or as music on hold over telephone systems is required to have an APRA licence.
This includes medical practices.
An APRA licence is generally needed if any of the following devices are used in waiting areas or as music on hold over telephone systems:
- Radio
- TV (including free-to-air, Foxtel or Austar)
- DVD
- CD's
- iPod
APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) was established in 1926 as a non-profit association of composers, authors and publishers of music. In order to save artists from having to collect royalties from each of literally thousands of copyright users, APRA (on behalf of composers) and the PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia Limited) (on behalf of recording artists and recording companies) collect funds for copyright royalties.
APRA also licenses music written by overseas composers through its reciprocal agreements with foreign copyright collecting societies.
Medical practices require an APRA licence if they wish to play a radio or television in their waiting room or over their telephone system. Anytime you broadcast a song for a non-domestic purpose (which would include in a medical practice's waiting room) you are making use of the copyright by the composer of the song, and also the recording artist and recording company that performed and recorded the song.
There is no penalty for not having a licence, but APRA or any individual composer/artist/recording company may sue for copyright breach and damages could be payable accordingly. The cost of the licence depends on the manner in which the music is to be used, the type and number of devices and the size of the premises. Licence application forms can be obtained from the APRA website.
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Tony Petani
Senior Associate
Phone: 61 3 9602 9789
Tony_Petani@tresscox.com.au
To see the contact details of the entire TressCox Health Services Team please click here.
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