Q: Is it true that I don't need permission to use a song in my streaming service if it's free (and I make money from ads)
I'm starting a small music streaming service. And one of the bands I was talking to said that they do not own the licenses to their music. But would like to be on the platform. They mentioned to me that, to use their music, I do not have to pay royalties, so long as the platform is free, as in, does not charge artists or users, and that the only money I make is through advertising. At which point I could use the songs on my service without paying royalty or getting permission from their license owner. My question, is this true, and if not, what hoops do I need to jump through to get license permissions from their distributor
A:
This sounds like a situation where you will need to hire a lawyer. There are a lot of moving parts that need to be parsed out. You may want to look into getting a blanket license like many radio stations have.
Look into hiring a copyright lawyer that has experience with musicians and royalty agreements.
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