APRA already charges radio stations a licence fee to broadcast music. Why is another fee payable?
Under the Copyright Act, music composers have a number of different rights that enable them to make a living from their work. They have the right to authorise the communication (broadcast, transmission, diffusion) of their music – hence the APRA licence for radio stations – and, quite separately, the right to control the public performance of their work. Businesses that play music via a radio, TV or other means are giving a public performance of the music and therefore need an APRA licence.
