Why do I need a public performance licence for playing streamed internet radio and not for playing traditional radio?
The Copyright Act has different rules which apply to different rights. There is an exception in the Copyright Act that allows you to play radio and television broadcasts in public without the need to obtain a public performance licence. There is no exception that applies when a protected sound recoding is “communicated to the public” via a streamed internet radio service. For this reason, you will need a public performance licence to publicly play streamed internet radio services which include protected sound recordings.
