Learn how music copyright and royalties work
The second you write or record original music, you have copyright. It's free and automatic. APRA AMCOS helps you make money from your music by selling licences to people who want to use it. When your music is played you earn royalties and get paid.
Get licensed to legally play or perform music
Find out how your organisation or event can legally play our music, and support the music industry. APRA AMCOS music licences make sure that music creators are fairly paid for songs played in Australia.
Search our song catalogue
Looking for a particular song or work? Search the APRA AMCOS registered song and work catalogue.
TIP: Read the summary on ‘How to search for a song or work’ before searching.
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Over 124,000 members use APRA AMCOS to get paid for their music
Nat Dunn, Songwriter
“APRA have been integral to what I’ve been fortunate to have achieved career-wise and supported me on a global level. I wouldn’t be able to travel the world writing, performing, collaborating without their belief and support from the beginning of my career overseas, to now."
Brendon Boney, Songwriter
“I first knew music could become a career when I got my first APRA royalty. That came in after I'd been playing pubs around Wagga, and I filled out the live Performance Reports."
Amanda Brown, Composer
"As composers and musicians we don't generally have a regular income, superannuation or holiday pay. APRA has sustained me with royalties throughout my musical career."
Frequently asked questions
What does APRA AMCOS do?
APRA AMCOS grants licences for the live performance, broadcast, communication, public playing or reproduction of its members’ musical works. APRA AMCOS then distributes the licence fees to its 119,000+ songwriter, composer and music publisher members and affiliated societies worldwide.
APRA AMCOS is the trading name of Australasian Performing Right Association Limited (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS).
Why do I need an APRA AMCOS music licence?
Firstly, it shows that your business or organisation respects and supports songwriters and composers - creators of Australian culture.
Secondly, if you use music that is protected by copyright within your business, Commonwealth legislation requires permission (a licence) from the creators of that music.
And last but not least - you benefit by using music: keeping your patrons and staff entertained, engaged and creating a better atmosphere.
Composers and music publishers generally authorise APRA AMCOS to administer their rights in Australia. Without these licences you would, for example, need to deal directly with the composers, songwriters and music publishers who own the rights in the music you wish to use.
You can get independent legal information from the Australian Copyright Council.
How do I find out which music licence I need?
APRA AMCOS offers music licences for:
- TV or radio
- Event videos
- Online
- Physical formats
- Educational institutions
- Production Music
For films and advertisements, you can use our research service to contact the copyright owners of the musical work and sound recordings. You'll need their permission and licence to use their work. Alternatively, you can use production music.
OneMusic is a joint initiative between APRA AMCOS and PPCA that licenses public performance of musical works and sound recordings.
What's OneMusic?
OneMusic Australia is an APRA AMCOS and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia Ltd (PPCA) joint licensing initiative launched 1 July 2019.
In Australia music creators generally authorise two organisations to administer their rights. APRA AMCOS (composers and music publishers) and PPCA (recording artists and record labels).
OneMusic Australia offers joint public performance licences so there's no longer any need for separate licence agreements and invoices from PPCA and APRA AMCOS. OneMusic Australia allows businesses to meet copyright obligations for the public performance of musical works and sound recordings more seamlessly.
How do I copyright and register my works?
Copyright and registration are two separate things.
Copyright is free and automatic.
That's right—you don’t have to do anything to ‘get’ copyright; it's there from the moment you write down or record the song. So as soon as you create a new song or piece of music, you have copyright in it.
Register works with APRA AMCOS.
To ensure you receive royalties when your work is played or performed, you must register your songs and compositions through the Writer Portal or App.
When do I get paid royalties?
APRA pays domestic royalties every three months and processes overseas royalties monthly.
AMCOS processes royalties quarterly—within 60 days of the end of each calendar quarter, usually just before the 60th day. All amounts over $10 are paid.
Who can join APRA?
If you write or compose your own songs, you may be eligible to join APRA. You'll also need to match one or more of the following criteria:
- You or someone else performs your songs live OR
- Your songs are broadcast on radio or TV OR
- Your songs are available to stream online.
You can't join if you're a member of an overseas Performing Rights Organisation. If you're in a band, only the members who write or compose music need to join.
Who can join AMCOS?
Joining AMCOS is separate from joining APRA. You may want to join AMCOS if you have unpublished works released on a recording for sale to the public or reproduced in a production music recording. You can join AMCOS if:
- You're a copyright owner of musical works;
- You don't already belong to an overseas mechanical rights organisation;
- At least one of your works is unpublished and has been commercially reproduced eg: available on a digital music service like Spotify or Apple Music, released as a physical product by a third party, or reproduced in a production music recording.
How do I log in to the Writer Portal?
In the 'Log in' menu on the website, choose 'Songwriters and composers' and then log in to your account. Enter your email address - the one you use for APRA AMCOS correspondence.
If it's your first time logging in, you'll receive an activation email, asking you to choose a password. Make sure you check your junk or spam if you can't see the activation email in your inbox.
Once you've created your password you'll get access to the Writer Portal.
View this video to see more detail, and how to reset your password.
What are Performance Reports?
If you play live at pubs, clubs, cafes, or other live music venues in Australia and New Zealand, you can get royalties for these performances by submitting a Performance Report.
Just tell us what songs you've performed in which venues, and you could be paid for playing your original music live. Please make sure you also tell us about any covers you perform so the original songwriters can get paid too.
You can submit your Performance Reports on-the-go via the APRA AMCOS for Music Creators App or in the Writer Portal. Download the app for free from the Apple App store, or from GooglePlay for Android.
What is an ISRC and where can I get one?
The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is how your sound recordings and music video recordings are recognised wherever and whenever they're played. Adding your ISRCs to your work's registration details makes it easier for us to get you royalties quickly and accurately. However, an ISRC is not a compulsory requirement for an APRA work registration.
APRA AMCOS does not issue ISRCs, ARIA does. To find out more or apply for an ISRC, please email [email protected] or visit the ARIA website.
