Re: A Sound Discussion

["Bob La Londe" <none@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Music Licensing per the National Restaurant Association

http://www.restaurant.org/Manage-My-Restaurant/Operations/Regulatory-back-office/11-questions-about-music-licensing

I was going to list for various services, but this is a pretty good summary.

The only way around paying fees other than the limited amount listed in that
is to buy a large library of Royalty free music or music published in the
Public Domain and use a music player.  While those items may be free to use
you better have your paper work in order and be prepared to back it up if
you want to avoid an AZCAP or BMI lawsuit.

Even though there is a pretty big body of royalty free music out there its
not available from ANY commnon sources, and you will most likely have to buy
copies from companies who specialize in the stuff.

Here are comments on the subject of MOH from a company that sells MOH
service.

http://easyonhold.com/knowledgebase/radioonhold.pdf

Since they are in the business they may overstate the position, but it does
seem to indicate you are correct about radio on hold.  I had believed radio
on hold was allowed.  I didn't realize it was considered a rebroadcast.

Its neither here nor there for me as I always try to talk my customers into
a message on hold system for their phone systems.  Some message on hold
machines even include a small amount of royalty free music, but if somebody
is hearing the music I think you are wasting valuable one on one advertising
and conditioning time.  You already have somebody who is your customer or is
interested in becoming your customer captive and waiting on you.  Why not
tell them a little more about yourself while they wait.  "Oh, Les can run
netowrk cable for me too?  Cool.  I'll have to ask him about that."

Oh, and here is BMI on the topic of Music On Hold

http://www.bmi.com/licensing/entry/music_on_hold

And then of course there is the legnadary Muzak who made thir big punch into
the background music industry by re-recording and butchering songs enough to
no longer be covered under the original copyright.  Muzak was the original
remixer.