The FAQs contain generic answers only for general informational purposes. The information does not and is not intended to constitute legal advice, is not represented to be error-free, and is not legally binding. You should refer to the terms and conditions of your licence agreement and/or seek independent legal advice if you have any questions regarding your legal rights and legal obligations. Please contact us at licence@compass.org.sg or +65 6323 6630 if you have any queries.

COMPASS has an extensive repertoire of more than 19 million musical works from across the world to suit your needs. Nearly all pop songs on billboard charts and the most recently published musical works which your audience are used to listening to are part of COMPASS’s repertoire. Our musical works feature genres such as pop, country, instrumental, indie, jazz, new-age, religious, rock, etc across a wide range of languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, Malay, Korean, Tamil, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.

Our COMPASS Public Performance Licence is a blanket licence that will allow you to legally publicly perform any of the 19 million musical works in COMPASS’s repertoire within the duration of the licence, subject to terms and conditions.

If you are using someone's property, there is a moral and legal obligation to first obtain the owner’s permission. The same principle applies to musical works because these are a form of intellectual property.

Under Copyright Law, you have to first obtain permission from the copyright owner or their representative before performing their musical works in public. Otherwise, you may end up being liable for civil damages and criminal penalties.

The phrase “Public Performances” usually brings to mind big concerts. But actually under Copyright Law, Public Performances refer to any use of musical works for non-personal, non-domestic and/or commercial purposes.

Examples include Live and Mechanical Music being played in concerts, restaurants, retail outlets, nightclubs, bars, pubs, discotheques, karaoke lounges, roadshows, or any indoor or outdoor events including private company functions and closed-door events.

It depends on how the background music is played.

These days, most background music is played through speakers from online streaming websites or through music streaming apps. In such cases, you will need a licence for Public Performance Rights but not a licence for Reproduction Rights or Public Communication Rights.

If you have live bands playing background music, you will similarly need a licence for Public Performance Rights but not a licence for Reproduction Rights or Public Communication Rights.

Different rates may apply depending on the type of business, premise and music use.

All Music Copyrights administered by COMPASS are fully backed by law. We maintain the Deeds of Assignment indicating the transfer of Copyrights from our members (Composers, Authors and Music Publishers) to COMPASS. We also have Reciprocal Representation Agreements with international Affiliated Societies, granting the exclusive right to license their repertoire in Singapore to COMPASS. You may submit a written request to view the necessary and relevant documents at our office at a mutually convenient time. These documents have also been presented in the Copyright Tribunal and the Courts on numerous occasions in civil and criminal suits against those who infringe Copyrights. In fact, many government departments, which are extremely cautious in monetary matters, are also paying royalties to COMPASS.

COMPASS is also proud to be a licensed Collective Management Organisation under the Class Licensing Scheme (CLS) by the Ministry of Law and our Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). More information is available at the IPOS website https://www.ipos.gov.sg/about-ip/copyright/copyright-owners/collective-management-organisations.

In line with the CLS, we publish a list of our affiliated societies and COMPASS’s members on our website at https://www.compass.org.sg/about-us/ . In addition, we offer a blanket licence along with an indemnity against copyright infringement actions and proceedings attributable to the licensee's use of COMPASS's repertoire under the terms of the licence agreement.

Music users are responsible to first obtain permission before using Copyrighted musical works. However, we understand it is not practical for F&B and retail outlets to seek out and obtain a licence from thousands of rightsholders just to play background music at their premises. That is where COMPASS’s Public Performance Licence comes in to help you and music creators.

The COMPASS Public Performance Licence covers a repertoire of over 19 million musical works worldwide in partnership with our affiliated overseas societies from the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC).

COMPASS is also proud to be a licensed Collective Management Organisation under the Class Licensing Scheme (CLS) by MinLaw and IPOS. In line with the CLS, while we do not publish a full list of the musical works under our administration, we publish a list of our affiliated societies and COMPASS’s members on our website at https://www.compass.org.sg/about-us/ . In addition, we offer a blanket licence along with an indemnity against copyright infringement actions and proceedings attributable to the licensee's use of COMPASS's repertoire under the terms of the licence agreement. This ensures that our licensees can have a peace of mind regardless of which musical works they use.

COMPASS is a non-profit organization established to collect royalties on behalf of the Members of itself and its international Affiliated Societies. Licence fees collected are distributed to Composers, Authors and Music Publishers represented by COMPASS and its international Affiliated Societies after the deduction of administration charges. You may refer to the Distribution Rules on our website.

COMPASS is a public company formed under the Companies Act. As such, any member of the public can obtain a copy of the audited annual accounts, which will clearly show that royalties collected, less administration costs, are all distributed out to Members and affiliate Societies. COMPASS also pays very little company tax as it does not make any profit from its licensing operations. The administration costs, which generally vary between 15% – 18%, are to sustain the administration and enforcement operations of the Society. Our audited financial statements are found in our Annual Reports which are publicly available on our website.

In formulating the various tariff schemes for music users, COMPASS has already taken into consideration these factors. Adjustments have therefore been made in the rates to address these concerns. As a COMPASS Licence is issued on an annual basis, licence fees cannot be based on anything less than a year. It is important to note, however, that the licence fee, in general, is only a minor expenditure in your business’ entire operating costs, whereas the music provided is often an indispensable item in the service or entertainment provided by your business.

Under Copyright Law, a Copyright Tribunal has been set up to resolve licensing disputes between CMOs and users of Copyrighted works. COMPASS has successfully defended its rates before the Copyright Tribunal and remains prepared to do so.

Yes, you will still need a COMPASS Public Performance licence. Nearly all publicly available digital music streaming and download services are limited to personal, domestic and non-commercial use. Any subscription fees you might have paid for covers only personal and private use. The same applies for CDs and other storage media you may have bought. You may refer to your end-user agreement with the streaming and download service for details.

Yes, you will still need a COMPASS Public Performance licence to perform Audio-Visual materials containing musical works in public. Even if the creator of the Audio-Visual materials had obtained permission to use musical works in the production, that clearance does not include Public Performance Rights of the musical works which requires a separate Licence.

As long as you use Copyrighted musical works in public, you need a Licence under Copyright Law. This applies to all types of entities including not-for-profit organisations and to all events whether free or chargeable unless you fall under exceptions in the Copyright Act.

COMPASS and MRSS are Collective Management Organisations administering different rights.

Since 1987, COMPASS has been managing the Public Performance Rights and Reproduction Rights in musical works. COMPASS has also been managing the Public Communication Rights in musical works since it was first introduced in the Copyright Act in 2005. We represent Composers, Authors and Music Publishers for their Copyrights.

In November 2021, a new right was introduced in the Copyright Act 2021. The Music Rights (Singapore) Public Limited (MRSS) manages the Right to be paid Equitable Remuneration for public performance of Sound Recordings. It represents Record Labels.

If you are playing live music in your retail or F&B shop, you will only need a COMPASS Public Performance Licence only.

If you are playing mechanical music through speakers in your retail or F&B shop, you will similarly need a COMPASS Public Performance Licence. If such music involves sound recordings of a particular singer or performer under the record labels which rights are administered by MRSS, you may also need a MRSS Public Performance Licence.

Yes, you will still need a COMPASS Public Performance Licence as long as you are playing Copyrighted musical works in the public even if you have a Public Entertainment Licence or an Arts Entertainment Licence.

The Public Entertainment Licence is issued by the Singapore Police Force. This is required under the Public Entertainments Act 1958, for any entertainment that is provided in any place to which the public or any class of public has access, whether gratuitously or otherwise. You may refer to more information at https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/browse-all-licences/singapore-police-force-(spf)/apply-for-public-entertainment-licence .

The Arts Entertainment Licence is issued by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). This covers arts entertainment events or activities both indoors and outdoors such as plays, music and dance performances, art exhibitions, variety shows and pop/rock concerts. You may refer to more information at https://www.imda.gov.sg/regulations-and-licensing-listing/licence-for-the-provision-of-arts-entertainment .

Contrary to popular belief, royalty-free music does NOT mean copyright-free music. You should check with the music provider on terms and coverage.

Unlike royalty-free music, the scope of our COMPASS Public Performance Licence is more extensive with over 19 million musical works from worldwide. Nearly all pop songs on billboard charts and the most recently published musical works which your customers are used to listening to are part of COMPASS’s repertoire which you cannot obtain from these music providers. Should you decide to change the type of music you are playing to suit a festive occasion or change in branding, you will be able to find something suitable in COMPASS’s wide repertoire.

In addition, COMPASS is also proud to be a licensed Collective Management Organisation under the Class Licensing Scheme (CLS) by MinLaw and IPOS. We offer a blanket licence along with an indemnity against copyright infringement actions and proceedings attributable to the licensee's use of COMPASS's repertoire under the terms of the licence agreement. This ensures that our licensees can have a peace of mind regardless of which musical works they use. No music provider can offer such indemnity protection.

The persons involved may mutually decide who to apply for and pay for a COMPASS Public Performing Licence. It should be noted that when copyright infringement takes place, Copyright Law provides that aside from the primary infringer, connected persons may also be found directly or vicariously liable.

We seek to educate and inform music users and business owners on the value of music and advise on a Licence that will fulfil their needs and protect them under Copyright Law. At the same time, the Copyright Law safeguards Authors and Composers from users who choose to disregard copyrights when using music.

Music users who publicly perform Copyrighted musical works without a Licence are committing copyright infringement under the Singapore Copyright Act 2021. Users may face civil and/or criminal liability, which can lead to injunctions, damages, fines and/or imprisonment.