Performance rights licensing streaming video
During the Covid 19 pandemic, musicians were isolated from their accompanists, live (in person) venues were closed by health-orders, and as the shelter in place orders expanded from weeks to months, musicians looked to busking on live-streaming video platforms (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch etc.) to try to earn a living. In the course of these performances the musicians generally take requests to supplement their own repertoire.
Assumptions for this document:
- The copyright songs used are used in video and not otherwise made available for sale, or offered on a streaming platform like Spotify.
Definition
- Performing rights are the right to perform music in public. It is part of copyright law and demands payment to the music's composer/lyricist and publisher [...] Performances are considered "public" if they take place in a public place and the audience is outside of a normal circle of friends and family, including concerts nightclubs, restaurants etc. Public performance also includes broadcast and cable television, radio, and any other transmitted performance of a live song. Permission to publicly perform a song must be obtained from the copyright holder or a collective rights organization.