A good music playlist can help motivate your clientele and boost the energy in a virtual fitness class. However, you need to be aware of the rules of playing music to avoid copyright infringement. Before you go ahead and play any song you want, there are a few rules and regulations to keep in mind.
A good music playlist can help motivate your clientele and boost the energy in a virtual fitness class. However, you need to be aware of the rules of playing music to avoid copyright infringement. Before you go ahead and play any song you want, there are a few rules and regulations to keep in mind.
There are two different types of licensed music: private and public.
It’s tempting to think that since you already pay for a music streaming service, like Pandora or Spotify, that you can use that music. This is incorrect: you cannot play music from a personal streaming subscription in your classes.
There are three different Performance Rights Organizations (PROS) that collect licensing fees:
All three of these sell the public performance licenses mentioned above.
The PROs mentioned above collect fees from business’, not employees. As a studio owner, it is your responsibility to buy a public performance license. Because your business is benefitting from the use of music, it’s your responsibility to purchase the license. Note: this is also applicable to contract employees.
Fees are based on:
If you don’t pay for a license, you’ll first be warned and notified by a licensing manager. If you ignore the warnings, you could incur large fees and/or be taken to court.
You may want to look into a service that can provide you with the music you need for your classes, without the worry of copyright infringement. Here are three options:
Don’t risk getting caught while playing music without a license. Making sure that the music in your studio is legally acquired will guarantee that you’ll be able to make your clients happy and offer the music they expect and appreciate for years to come.
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