Using Copyrighted Music

Just rebooting this conversation as a gentle reminder about the licensing process, if you plan to obtain one, as we get closer to the 2025 season start.

I applied for my licence last night and had it granted and sent through by 8.30 this morning!!!

Felicity at APRA was incredibly efficient, easy to work with and really knowledgeable. 😁
 
Last edited:
Seems its pretty easy to get a licence which covers music broadcast over FM but how does everyone handle the legality of FM transmitters?
seems the legal ultra low power is practically useless and impossible to comply with but affordable/easy path to legally running a useful power level?
 
What power level are you using?
The legal limit without a licence in Australia is 10µW (10 microwatts / 0.01mW / 0.00001W) and I have no problems as long as you use a frequency that is not currently being used or close enough to one that could cause interference to one
 
macmanluke said:
seems the legal ultra low power is practically useless and impossible to comply with but affordable/easy path to legally running a useful power level?
Click to expand...
The two are mutually exclusive. 'affordable/easy' and 'useful power level'
Licencing a transmitter is a costly exercise.
Be sensible. Keep your transmitter power as low as possible. Don't cause interference. Don't broadcast advertising or questionable material.
 
Juddge said:
the legal limit shoud be enough to sit in front of the house and listen ? are you trying to broadcast to tasmania or the front yard ?
Click to expand...
No, it's not. The legal limit (10uW) is designed to transmit at most about a metre.
The purpose was for those FM Transmitter things you got to plug into your car lighter socket and into your discman/mp3 player, before cars came with these as standard - where it'd be confined to the internals of your vehicle.

The typical transmitter most use (CZE-05B/TR-508) is 100mW (so 10,000 times more powerful) on it's low power output - and can transmit a block or two.
 
oh, damn, well anyway the small cheap ones we all use are good for a few houses away, which is all we really should need ? but i know as long as your not interfering with other stations and not broadcasting terrible things, no one will complain or harass you unless their name is Karen .
 
In most cases there should be no need to transmit more than 100mW anyway. My transmitter IIRC is configured for 10mW or slightly over this (I use an EDM transmitter with adjustable 1-100mW output but they are no longer available). It is too bad that FM transmitters <100mW aren't readily available.

Aside from selecting an unused frequency and not using an overly powerful transmitter, transmitting only during show hours is another tip. What is the point of transmitting silence at 11 am in the morning? I have my transmitter on a WiFi plug with a schedule to turn on 30 minutes before my show and 30 minutes after lights off.
 
Im not running any FM transmitter yet - partially due to the laws, partially due to it seeming outdated especially with modern cars and processing delays.
My thoughts were if your running about the legal limit of FM transmission power then then the licensing for the music is only a part of the equation
But i do agree don't annoy anyone and your probably going to be ok (pulsemesh etc included)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top