Currently commercial broadcasting licenses allow radio stations to broadcast sound recordings for payment of a royalty, capped at one per cent of gross earnings. The ABC pays a lump sum based on half of one cent per Australian.
But the same music programs cannot be simulcast online without an additional licence. A Federal Court ruled in February that internet simulcasts fall outside the definition of broadcasting and are therefore not covered by existing licences. As a result, broadcasters will need to obtain different licences to stream music or other sound recordings.
