What is Copyright Music?

Copyright music refers to a musical work that is protected by intellectual property rights, meaning it is legally owned by its composer, songwriter, or author.

Under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, the creator of a musical work holds the exclusive right to control how their music is used by others. This includes the right to authorise its public performance – which occurs when music is played in a business, workplace, or any non-domestic setting.

If you’re using music in your business—whether it’s played through speakers, on TV or radio, streamed online, or performed live—this is considered a public performance of copyright music. In such cases, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

That’s where IMRO comes in. As a Licenced collective management organisation, IMRO grants permission on behalf of music creators, making it easy and legal for your business to enjoy the benefits of music while ensuring creators are fairly rewarded for their work.