[cisco-voip] Music on hold licensing

[Mike Armstrong]

I went through this some time ago and posted the following to the list in 
October, although my US-centric view of the world probably doesn't hold in 
the UK.  I'd be interested in finding out who owns the rebroadcast rights in 
other countries.

mike

Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 12:47:41 -0400
From: "Mike Armstrong" <mfa at crec.ifas.ufl.edu>
Subject: Re: [cisco-voip] Music on hold from the airwaves
To: <cisco-voip at puck.nether.net>
Message-ID: <00a701c5d015$d4401fb0$400cfb0a at crec.ifas.ufl.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original

For those interested, here's part of the answer.  Let me say at outset I am
not an attorney, your mileage may vary, caveat emptor, etc.

All the world's [sic] music is controlled by 3 organizations:  BMI, ASCAP, 
and
SESAC.  BMI claims they have 52% of it in their catalog, ASCAP claims "the
majority", and SESAC says they have no idea.  All agree, however, that
together they own the rebroadcast rights to everything.  (I'm sure there's
some GNU-type music somewhere, but if you do have to pay someone for the
right to use a particular song on your music-on-hold system, you have to pay
one of these 3 outfits.)   It turns out that my problem is thus solved,
since we have such contracts with all 3.

I said "part of the answer" above because all these agreements provide is
the right to rebroadcast music.  If your music-on-hold radio station carried
an NBA game some night, and it wound up being played on hold, you'd probably
run afoul of the NBA, the teams, and who knows who else.  The radio station
itself may not want you to rebroadcast the dulcet tones of their announcers,
for that matter, although the nice lady at BMI said that in general, radio
stations loved the exposure that music-on-hold gave them.  I'm waiting to
see what our local NPR stations have to say about that.

Here's a link to BMI's FAQ; they were by far the most helpful people to talk
to.  Phone numbers for all 3 follow.

http://www.bmi.com/licensing/business/groupb/faq/musiconhold_answers.asp

BMI: 877-264-2137
ASCAP: 800-505-4052
SESAC: 800-826-9996

mike


> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 16:08:11 -0000
> From: "James Dust" <james.dust at charles-stanley.co.uk>
> Subject: [cisco-voip] Music on hold licensing
> To: <cisco-voip at puck.nether.net>
> Message-ID:
> <FDEEDC07A7DA6E41BCB819487E7C85AE1FC31E at CSEXCH01.charles-stanley.co.uk>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Has anyone else obtained a license for the music tracks they are using
> for MOH?
>
> I have been told that you need to purchase them on a per channel basis
> from the Performing Rights Society.
>
> Many Thanks.
>
> James Dust