Marketing Tips - #16
 

Is Your Radio Breaking The Law?

If you’re playing the radio or CDs for your callers on hold, you might be in violation of federal copyright laws. ASCAP is an association that represents music composers and publishers. They also license music, meaning they sell the rights to use it for certain commercial applications.

The ASCAP website mentions Music On Hold specifically. It states that “when you place a caller on hold and transmit music via your telephone lines, that is a public performance of the music. It is your responsibility to obtain permission to perform ASCAP songs from ASCAP or directly from the copyright owner.”

The problem is that the cost of a license can be prohibitive for many small businesses. So what do you do if you want all the benefits of music on hold or on-site?

BusinessVoice offers two options. We can design a customized Music On Hold program for you using content from the many categories in our music library, or we can provide background music. It’s a very versatile programming service that delivers more than 40 channels of digital, commercial-free music 24 hours a day via satellite or the web. And your lawyers will like this: both background music and the BusinessVoice library are fully licensed, which means you’ll be in full compliance with all applicable laws. Want more info? Give us a call at 866/473-9000.