Proposal for more transparency on music performing rights licensing

5 June 2019

The ACCC is calling for feedback on a proposal to reauthorise the Australasian Performing Right Association’s (APRA) musical works licensing arrangements for a further five years with additional conditions.

APRA and its members, including composers, songwriters and publishers, hold performing rights for virtually all music played or performed in Australia, and earn royalties from those rights. In most cases, members assign these rights on an exclusive basis to APRA, which collects royalties by imposing licence fees on users of that music.

Many businesses that play music, such as retailers, cafes, bars and broadcasters, need to obtain and pay for a licence from APRA. The fees from these licences are distributed by APRA to its members.

APRA is seeking reauthorisation from the ACCC for its licensing arrangements, to remove any risk that they may breach competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act.

More information here…