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If you are unable to pay for extra licences that would cover some countries, IbadaLive has a geo-protection feature that allows you to block access from any country you wish.

At the bottom of this article is a list containing the names of regulatory bodies across the world, as well as links to their websites. However, this list is not comprehensive, so if your country is missing it is best to contact your local government for information on which organisations provide licences.

Regulatory bodies provide licences and act as intermediaries between copyright owners and you, collecting royalties to ensure the owners receive fair pay for use of their work. There are individual organisations specific to each country who regulate these licences. For instance-

In the UK, there are two main regulatory bodies:

• PPL: Phonographic Performance Limited; represent the interests of record labels and collect royalties from radio stations on their behalf.
• PRS: Performing Rights Society; collects royalties on behalf of artists and composers and covers music that’s played on TV, Radio and Online.

Whereas in the USA there are 4 regulatory bodies:

• ASCAP: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
• BMI: Broadcast Music Inc.
• SESAC: Society of European Stage Authors and Composers.
• SoundExchange

ASCAP, BMI and SESAC collect royalties for public performances, which include radio stations, businesses, bars, shops etc. All three perform the same function.

SoundExchange is different as it collects royalties from digital public performances, meaning anything done over the internet. If your station is limited to online only with no other public broadcasts then SoundExchange will cover your needs.

Be aware that licences from these organisations do not cover music for use outside of unskippable content like live broadcasts. Therefore, if you turn your show into a publicly-accessible podcast after it’s broadcast you will be unable to include the music used or else you will breach the licence agreement.

Situations like this can be ambiguous, as you are liable for where your station is broadcast but also not entirely in control when circumstances as these occur. It is best to contact your licence provider for more information if anything like this crops up.