MUSIC LICENCES

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.

Go to the OneMusic website.

There are a few things you should know about releasing a cover.

Permission

Good news, you don't need permission to release a cover as long as it has already been released by the original copyright owner.

Royalties

Releasing a cover either on a physical product, like a CD or vinyl, or online, requires payment of royalties. If you're represented by a label, they will likely already be covered by a licensing agreement. Check with them to see if you're covered.

Licensing for physical products, like CD or vinyl

For physical releases you need something called an audio manufacture licence, which is available through APRA AMCOS.

Licensing for online release

For online platforms that are already covered by a licensing agreement, like Spotify, you don't need a licence. However, if you plan to release it through an unlicensed platform like Bandcamp or your own website, you'll need a licence.