Smartcopying

| Back to Table of Contents |

APRA Licence for the Public Performance and Communication of Musical Works by Schools

The Australasian Performing Right Association ( APRA ) is a non-profit organisation of composers, authors and music publishers, which administers the public performance, communication rights on behalf of its members.

See 1.11: Statutory and Voluntary Licences for further information on Collecting Societies

Copyright owners have exclusive rights over the public performance of their work which includes the:

• live performance of a piece of music
• performance of a school choir
• playing of a sound recording
• the showing of a film or a video recording.

All public performances of copyright musical works by schools - ie performances outside the classroom - require a licence.  This includes performances at concerts, speech nights, fetes, Christmas carol nights, and at other venues outside the school premises such as shopping malls, town halls etc.  The APRA Licence grants each participating school a licence to perform in public any work within the APRA repertoire.

Most government and non-government schools are covered by the APRA Licence.

Definitions

Schools include all government primary and secondary schools and most non-government primary and secondary schools.

Small performing rights :

• performances by a choir or by musicians, of songs or music up to 20 minutes in length, in their entirety
• the playing of music and lyrics of commercially distributed sound recordings, including the playing of radio

Dramatic context performances  refer to a performance in conjunction with acting, costumes, scenic accessories, or other dramatic effects of works other than those specifically written for the stage.

Grand Right Works  include vocal or other scores from musicals, operas, operettas, music theatre works, ballets, pantomimes and stage shows and large choral works (longer than 20 minutes duration in their entirety).

Back to top

What does the APRA Licence cover?

The APRA Licence covers the small performing rights of the public performance rights in music and accompanying lyrics.  Under the APRA licence, a school and its students may perform musical works at the school or at a function connected with the school's activities.

The performances may be given:

• at schools
• by students and teachers of a school at non-school venues.

The following uses of music are covered by the APRA licence if they take place on the school premises:

• playing music by way of CD players, television or radio
• live performances or playing of recorded music at sports days or fairs
• school concerts by students (choirs, singing groups, school band, orchestra or rock bands)
• school formals and dances
• performance at school award nights or graduations
• playing of recorded music for dance or fitness classes
• playing of pre recorded music on audio cassette and CDs, if played by the educational institution and no fee is charged
• performance of musical works in dramatic contexts by:
  • primary schools
  • secondary schools, but only if no fee is charged and the performance is not publicised beyond the school community
• performance of Grand Rights Works, but only if the performance is 20 minutes long or less, or if there is no visual element to the performance.

The following uses of music are covered by the APRA licence if they take place off school premises but are performed at a function connected with the school's activities and no entry fee is charged:

• playing music by way of CD players, television or radio
• live performances or playing of recorded music at sports days or fairs
• school concerts by students (choirs, singing groups, school band, orchestra or rock bands)
• school formals and dances
• performance at school award nights or graduations
• playing of recorded music for dance or fitness classes
• playing pre recorded music on audio cassette and CDs, if played by the educational institution and no fee is charged.
• performance of music in dramatic contexts by:
  • primary schools
  • secondary schools, but only if no fee is charged and the performance is not publicised beyond the school community
• performance of Grand Rights Works, but only if the performance is 20 minutes long or less, or if there is no visual element to the performance.

What does the APRA licence not cover?

• Grand Right Works (except performances of 20 minutes or less in the circumstances described above)
• Rock Eisteddfod competitions
• Interschool music festivals
• Performances of works composed or used for ballet if the performance is accompanied by ballet dancing
• Performances given by professional musicians, regardless of whether or not an admission fee is charged, are not be covered under the licence
• Transmission of a performance beyond the school.

See 2.3: Musical Works for further information

Back to top

| Back to Table of Contents |