Copyright Information

Music Copyright (Synchronisation Rights)

If you have used, or plan to use, music that is not your own (and that you have not already obtained permission to use), you will need to seek synchronisation rights. This licensing will be done directly by the copyright holders, rather than by a central organisation.

Two kinds of copyright can be involved:

  • The copyright on the musical composition. This copyright is connected to the writer(s) of the music and is usually administered by a publishing company (in other words, you will usually be dealing with a publisher rather than with composers/songwriters themselves). Rights attached to musical compositions are often referred to as the publishing rights.
  • The copyright on the sound recording (if an existing sound recording is being used). This copyright is connected to the recording artist(s) and is usually administered by the record company that releases the recording. Rights connected with sound recordings are often referred to as the master rights.

There are usually contacts in Australia, even if the music is not Australian. Any decisions about fees or any other aspect of the project will need to be negotiated between you and the copyright holder.

There is no central listing of copyright owners, as they are not required to be part of one, but there are various ways to look for the information. If you have enquiries about specific pieces of music, you can use the research facility provided by APRA AMCOS. You can find this on the APRA AMCOS website.

More Information

For more information on music copyright, please contact:
Digital and Recorded Licensing / Research Services
APRA AMCOS

+61 1300 852 388
[email protected]
apraamcos.com.au

Other Organisations and Resources

Australian Copyright Council for information on copyright law
Arts Law Centre of Australia for information on laws affecting all areas of the arts
Copyright Agency for information on literary and image copyright
Screenrights for information on copyright of audiovisual content
Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) for information on copyright of sound recordings
Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for information about record companies and available sound recordings
APRA AMCOS for further information about the work of APRA AMCOS

Royalty-free Music Sites

If you are looking for royalty-free music to use in your production(s), you may find the following websites useful:
archive.org/details/audio/
freemusicarchive.org