What is OneMusic Australia?
OneMusic Australia is a joint licensing initiative of APRA AMCOS and PPCA, launched in 2019. It provides a way for businesses to obtain permission for specified uses of the music those organisations represent. It is a music licensing organisation, not a government agency. See OneMusic’s official introduction.
The useful question is not simply “Does my business need OneMusic?” It is “Who has authorised the music we actually play, for the way we play it?” A shop using mainstream recordings, a venue using directly licensed tracks and a school using music in different activities can have different answers. Start by documenting your repertoire and use before choosing a licence.
APRA AMCOS, PPCA and the two layers of music rights
A recording and the underlying song are different things. A café might play a recording of a song written by one person and performed by another. Rights in the composition and rights in that particular recording need to be considered separately.
- APRA AMCOS: manages certain rights for songwriters, composers and publishers, including licensing music played or copied. APRA AMCOS explains its role.
- PPCA: represents recording interests, including participating record labels and recording artists. PPCA explains its role.
- OneMusic: brings the relevant permissions together through its business licence schemes rather than requiring separate applications for each represented rights layer.
“One licence” is not the same as “every conceivable use.” Read the scheme, repertoire and exclusions. Permission for in-store background listening should not be treated as permission to put the same recording into an advertisement, publish it on social media or run a ticketed music event.
What does public performance mean in a business?
In practical terms, playing music through speakers for customers can be a public performance even when nobody is singing live. A playlist accompanying shopping, a radio in a treatment room or music during restaurant service is different from private listening at home. OneMusic’s retail guide and dining guide explain these everyday situations.
The volume and prominence of the music do not answer the rights question on their own. Quiet background music can still involve public use. Conversely, do not assume that every sound, every room or every activity falls within an identical licence. Explain the actual arrangement to the rights holder or licensing organisation.
A useful inventory includes customer areas, staff-only areas, telephone hold, website audio and any events. Keeping those uses separate makes it easier to find out which permissions you already have and which still need attention.
Which OneMusic scheme fits your business?
| Business or activity | Starting point | What to describe |
|---|---|---|
| Retail store or salon | Retail & Service Providers | Audible retail area, source and playback devices |
| Café or restaurant | Dining | Seating capacity, source and other music activities |
| Gym or fitness studio | Fitness, Exercise & Wellbeing | Background listening versus music specifically used in classes |
| Hotel or mixed-use premises | Industry-specific schemes | Lobby, dining, bars, accommodation and entertainment separately |
| School | Schools | Existing school arrangements and the particular activity |
These are starting points, not automatic classifications. For example, a restaurant inside a hotel should not assume that the standalone Dining scheme applies. OneMusic directs dining spaces in hotels and certain other premises to their relevant industry schemes. A school should check its existing coverage rather than buying a retail licence because it has speakers.
Background music, featured music and fitness classes
Background music supports another activity. Featured music is presented as an attraction or prominent part of the entertainment. A regular retail playlist and an advertised DJ evening therefore deserve separate review. The Retail & Services fee methodology identifies separate categories for background and featured music.
Fitness businesses should describe the actual sessions, not just call all their audio “background.” Music accompanying a timetabled exercise class can need different cover from a playlist heard in reception. OneMusic’s current fitness page directs businesses using purely background music to Retail & Service Providers. Confirm the classification if you combine both uses.
Do Spotify and OneMusic solve the same problem?
No. A streaming subscription governs access to a service. Public-performance permission concerns using music for an audience. Paying one bill does not necessarily answer the other question.
Spotify’s official business-use guidance restricts the consumer service to personal, non-commercial listening. Buying OneMusic cover does not amend that agreement. OneMusic’s supplier guidance explicitly distinguishes personal streaming services from commercial background music suppliers.
If your staff currently use Spotify, a sensible next step is to move playback to a service whose terms permit the intended business use, then establish the remaining local rights position. Our Spotify business cost guide focuses on choosing and budgeting for that replacement; the existing Spotify legality article examines the legal question in more detail.
What changes when you use a commercial supplier?
A business supplier can provide commercial service terms and handle rights within its own supply arrangements. That does not establish that your venue’s entire public-performance licence is included. Ask which music rights, territories, activities and locations the contract covers.
OneMusic distinguishes its agents from other suppliers in its directory. Some packages may include venue licensing; the supplier’s listing alone is not proof of that inclusion. Ask for written confirmation and check with OneMusic where needed. For a practical selection guide, read background music options for Australian businesses.
Are there alternatives to a OneMusic licence?
Yes, depending on the rights involved. OneMusic’s official FAQ recognises permission through copyright owners, suppliers and other arrangements. Directly licensed music or repertoire outside its represented catalogue can change which licence is needed. The business still needs to establish that the necessary permissions apply to its actual use.
“Royalty-free” describes a licensing model; it is not proof that every public use is cleared. Review both song and recording permissions, geographic coverage, permitted playback and any exclusions. Keep customer uploads and third-party audio separate from a provider’s included catalogue. Our royalty-free business music guide explains that distinction.
A practical Australian business checklist
- List the music sources. Include staff phones, radios, TV, supplier playlists and uploaded tracks.
- Map the uses. Customer background music, classes, live entertainment, telephone hold and online publishing are different questions.
- Check the service contract. Find explicit permission for commercial playback rather than relying on “Premium” or “ad-free.”
- Identify the rights coverage. Ask what is handled by the supplier and what remains with the venue.
- Confirm the scheme and quote. Supply accurate measurements, capacity and source information.
- Keep evidence and review changes. Save agreements and invoices; reassess when you add classes, events or locations.
For fees and worked examples, continue to OneMusic Australia licence costs. For country context, use the Australia Knowledge Center guide. Track Studios’ own catalogue terms are described on our licensing page; they should be assessed separately from music brought in from elsewhere.
Primary sources
- OneMusic Australia: about
- APRA AMCOS: what we do
- PPCA: about
- OneMusic: FAQs
- Retail & Service Providers
- Retail fee methodology
- Dining
- Fitness, Exercise & Wellbeing
- Schools
- Background Music Suppliers
- Spotify: public or commercial use
This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Confirm the rights, terms and rates for your own business and music use.