Who are you?

• 1

  Administrator/Athletic Director

  Copyright compliance is an essential part of protecting every school and program. Found here are the tools that ADs will need to be fully compliant while using music and other copyrighted materials in games, concerts, productions, and/or other middle and high school activities.

  Copyright compliance may require one or more licenses.

  The resources below are designed to cover your school through partnerships of the NFHS. When all resources below are purchased, your school should have the required licensing to:

  • Play music at sporting events

  • Have clean lyrics available at school activities

  • Stream concerts, recitals, and other public performances

  • Provide performance licensing for show choirs and marching bands (does not include permission to arrange)

  • Provide performance licensing for cheer and dance teams (does not include permission for mash-ups)

  • Place music in video content (e.g. graduation, highlight reels, etc.)

  If I have secured one license, do I need another?

• 2

  Event Host

  Music Licensing: Playing music (live or recorded) in public requires public performance licenses, typically obtained through PROs. Streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, etc) are inteneded for personal use only and are not a legal option at a public or commercial event.

  Venue Responsibility vs. Organizer: While venues may have blanket licenses, corporate meetings or private events in rented spaces often require the organizer to obtain additional coverage.

  Video & Content: Showing movies, training videos, or using copyrighted images on signage requires permission from the content owner.

  Speaker/Artist Agreements: Contracts should clearly state who owns the rights to any content created, recorded, or streamed during the event.

  Virtual Events: Streaming content requires both a public performance license for the music and a synchronization license for video, often covering both the composition and the sound recording.

• 3

  Music Educator

  Permissible Copying: Teachers may copy up to 10% of a work for educational purposes (not performance), provided it's not a performable unit (like a full song or aria).

  Emergency Copies: Copying purchased sheet music that is lost or unavailable for an imminent performance is allowed, provided it is replaced.

  Performance Rights: Teachers can perform copyrighted music in the classroom for instructional purposes, but public performances (concerts with parents) may require additional licensing.

  Recording Student Performances: Teachers need a license to record and distribute student performances. A compulsory license can be obtained, often via The Harry Fox Agency, Inc..

  Arranging Music: Changing, editing, or simplifying a copyrighted piece requires permission from the publisher to ensure the original work isn't distorted.

  Original Compositions: Teachers and students own the copyright to their original, "fixed" (written down or recorded) music automatically. Registration with the U.S. Copyright office is recommended but not required.

• 4

  Speech, Debate, Theatre Educator

  
  Coming soon!

• 5

  Spirit, Dance, Color Guard Coach

  Licenses are required for any custom-mixed, mashed-up, or edited music used for routines.

  No Unlicensed Mixes: You cannot create mash-ups, medleys, or edit songs with added sound effects or altered tempo without written permission from copyright owners.

  Single Song Use: You may use a single, legally purchased song (iTunes/Amazon) for a routine, but it cannot be altered or remixed.

  Required Compliance: Schools and coaches must ensure all music for public performances and competitions adheres to copyright laws.

  Vendor List: Always use producers from the approved USA Cheer list to guarantee compliance.

  Choreography: Original choreography is copyrightable; using another coach’s routine without permission can lead to legal issues.

• 6

  General Musician

  Two Copyrights Per Song: A single song often has two distinct copyrights: the Musical Work (lyrics and composition) and the Sound Recording (the specific audio recording or "master").

  Automatic Protection: Copyright exists upon creation, but registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is necessary to sue for infringement and recover legal fees.

  Types of Rights: Owners control reproduction, distribution, and public performance, often managed by Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP or BMI.

  Duration: Generally, works created on or after January 1, 1978, are protected for the life of the author plus 70 years. For works first published prior to 1978, the term will vary depending on several factors.