Shoutcasting and copyright laws

manveruppd · 16 Jul 2006 at 19:51

What's the legal status of webcasting music via Shoutcast? Do you need to pay lisence fees for each song you broadcast, as commercial radio stations do, or not?
Needless to say I'm not talking about a commercial venture with either a subscription fee or commercials, just a normal amateur radio station.

manveruppd · 16 Jul 2006 at 23:11

Does truly nobody know, or is it not allowed to talk about such subjects on here?

Glaucus · 16 Jul 2006 at 23:15

its complicated, but legaly you need a license. If I rember there is a shoutcast license. But it only covers a few labels. Probably better of asking in the winamp/shoutcast foprums.

JollyGreen · 16 Jul 2006 at 23:19

You do, but as said previously it's quite a complex subject, I dread to even think about how international copyright law affects things (though most likely you only have to contend with the law in the country the server is hosted in).

Bear in mind however that music over 75 years old is fair game!*

*More fair game anyway, bearing in mind that the people who PERFORM the reproductions of music over 75 years old can claim copyright on their recording of it!

manveruppd · 16 Jul 2006 at 23:44

I see, thanks all. Would this be affected in any way, incidentally if I were to make a Shoutcast server that WASN'T open to the public and wasn't listed on the shoutcast.com pages?

JollyGreen said:
*More fair game anyway, bearing in mind that the people who PERFORM the reproductions of music over 75 years old can claim copyright on their recording of it!

That's true, reminds me of an argument I once had with a friend about whose tastes are more old fashioned: he likes '30s blues, I like 19th Century Romantics. I said "Dude, my composers were all dead before yours started recording!" To which he replied "Yes, but your composers are all STILL recording!" Touché, I had to admit

Al Vallario · 16 Jul 2006 at 23:59

You many want to have a look at the MCPS-PRS Alliance. They are an independent body who work with a number of publishers (I believe they have quite an impressive portfolio, although their site isn't particularly forthcoming about this information) and arrange with broadcasters (radio, DJs, live music organisers, online streaming and podcasts etc.) for loyalties to be paid to the artists. I seem to remember reading somewhere that they offer a flat-rate service priced at £50/quarter (£200/year), but this carries stipulations for online streaming - the first 10 seconds of each track must be obscured, and things like that.

av.

West · 17 Jul 2006 at 00:13

Yup you need a licence alright...

I work for EVE Radio (http://www.eve-radio.com - im DJ West

)

Our Parent company Gaming Radio Network (GRN UK) is owned by a bussinessman who this started originally as a hobby, now we are one of the best internet radio stations around...

Akira · 17 Jul 2006 at 02:14

manveruppd said:
That's true, reminds me of an argument I once had with a friend about whose tastes are more old fashioned: he likes '30s blues, I like 19th Century Romantics. I said "Dude, my composers were all dead before yours started recording!" To which he replied "Yes, but your composers are all STILL recording!" Touché, I had to admit

funniest thing I've read all day