Licensing Scenarios (UK)
In the case of Master Recording Rights, R1-4 are usually retained by the Record Label so can be licensed by them directly. However R2b in the UK is often assigned by labels to Public Performance Limited (PPL), who licence and administer the rights on their behalf.
In the case of Publishing Rights, certain rights are traditionally assigned or licensed by publishers to a collection society (for example PRS for Music in the UK) who licence and administer such rights on their behalf. However, online rights are often licensed by publishers outside of the traditional collection society system. For example, EMI Music Publishing’s Anglo-American repertoire for online and mobile exploitation in Europe is represented by a new entity called CELAS, although PRS for Music does retain some rights to license EMI Music Publishing’s Anglo-American online rights on a UK only basis. As such it’s best to make enquiries with your local collection society in the first instance and if they are unable to provide the relevant licences can direct you to the relevant body for your needs.
By way of example in the UK, the seven case scenarios below will guide you through the licenses you will need to obtain for your music service:
Note, the industry bodies referred to above are UK specific. For relevant collection societies in your territory, refer to our International Collection Societies page. To contact us regarding your business and commercial propositions, visit our OpenEMI Contact page.
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