Can you use karaoke for commercial use?

Answer 1

The Karaoke vendor does not. The business however is REQUIRED to get copyright permission from the copyright holders(writers,publishers,composers) for EVERY song, composition, poetry, or any entertainment in the business. The easiest way to obtain that permission is with a 'blanket license' through a performing rights organization. PRO's are music licensing organizations that license business for the public performance of music (radio, tv, live, karaoke, djs, comedy, e.t.c). PRO's grant business the permission for music with a license. The revenue from the license fees is distributed as public performance royalties to the songwriters that the PRO represent There are 3 PERFORMING RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS and they all represent different catalogs of music(different writers) and no writer can belong to all 3 organizations. They are 1) BMI (Broadcast Music Inc)-which is the largest of the 3, represents more than half, and all genres of music, 2)ASCAP(American Songwriters Composers & Publishers) represent a little under half the music-all genres, and 3)SESAC-smallest, about 1/3 of the music, mostly christian, gospel, and contemporary-with the exception of Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond. ANY BUSINESS THAT HAS ANY ENTERTAINMENT/MUSIC/TVS, MUST OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS(LICENSE). IT IS THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBLITY TO GET THIS PERMISSION-NO ONE ELSE. Good references, U.S. Copyright office, Better Business Bureau, www.bmi.com.

as far as i know the person doing karaoke does not. But as for the venue it does. But being a restaurant you should already have these license's to play the radio or show the tv or juke box or dj's to live bands. Ascap is a place you can find more answers on this and how to get these license's

Answer 2

All bars and restaurants are supposed to be licensed by the music industry, such as ASCAP and BMI if they are providing music, even simply playing the radio. In the case of karaoke bars which restrict their music to visiting live entertainers, the responsibility falls upon either the bar or the entertainer but not both.

Answer 3

All of the pubs and bars that play karaoke usually have a licence that covers "entertainment", ie, karaoke, dj's, bands etc.