The guide

Background music without a OneMusic licence — lawfully, for your venue

In Australia, publicly performing recorded music at your premises normally requires a OneMusic licence — a single joint licence covering the rights of songwriters and publishers (APRA AMCOS) and of performers and record labels (PPCA). OneMusic itself confirms there is a lawful alternative: where genuine royalty-free music is the only music played, a licence is often not required. Because Tonarch holds the rights in both the works and the recordings, and neither is registered with APRA AMCOS or PPCA, the Tonarch repertoire falls outside the OneMusic licence scope — you do not need a OneMusic licence for the Tonarch repertoire. Under s.108 of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), the copyright in a published sound recording is not infringed by public performance if equitable remuneration is paid to the copyright owner; this certificate is the direct licence that discharges that statutory obligation in respect of the Tonarch repertoire. If a OneMusic inspector contacts you, present this certificate and the repertoire annex as evidence that your music is outside their repertoires — it is documentation, not a OneMusic declaration. You remain responsible for obtaining appropriate licences for any non-Tonarch music you play — radio, television, streaming or staff playlists.

What you pay today

Today, playing music in a venue usually means fees to one or more collecting societies:

• OneMusic Australia (APRA AMCOS + PPCA)

A Tonarch licence from A$590 / year per location — one predictable fee, anchored to what you pay now.

The legal basis of direct licensing

Collecting-society fees apply to works within those societies' repertoire. When the rightsholder grants a direct licence and the works are registered with no society, no society royalties arise from playing them publicly. That is the model Tonarch operates on.

The inspection scenario

If OneMusic contacts you, you present your Tonarch Licence Certificate — issued to your venue by name and address — with the repertoire annex listing every track. It names the rightsholder and confirms the works sit outside OneMusic (APRA AMCOS + PPCA) repertoire.

FAQ

Do I really not need a OneMusic licence?

OneMusic covers the APRA AMCOS + PPCA repertoire, and Tonarch music is within neither — so you do not need a OneMusic licence for the Tonarch repertoire. Keep your certificate and annex as the documentation to present if a OneMusic inspector asks; it is evidence that your music is outside their repertoires, not a OneMusic declaration. If you play any other music, appropriate licensing — which may include OneMusic — remains your responsibility.

Isn't 'royalty-free music' often not really free?

Often only the recording is free while the underlying song still attracts payment. Tonarch is different: we hold both the work and the recording, and neither is registered with any society in any territory. The certificate states exactly that.

Am I buying files or a right?

You are buying the right to play the listed works publicly in one named location. Files are delivered, but the product is the ongoing right plus the documentation. If the licence ends, the right ends.