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== Copyright Blanket License ==== LEGAL == === Copyright Blanket License ====# BMI (Broadcast Music Inc)-which is the largest# [http://www.bmi.com/ BMI] (Broadcast Music Inc)-which is the largest# ASCAP (American Songwriters Composers & Publishers) represent a little under half# [http://www.ascap.com/ ASCAP] (American Songwriters Composers & Publishers) represent a little under half=== Karaoke and Live Music in a Public Business ===Owners of taverns, clubs, and other venues where Karaoke is an available form of entertainment, or live music performances where artists are performing copyright music, the venue is required to be licensed. What really stinks about the licensing is that the music industry is rather greedily controlled by BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC. There is no umbrella license for live performance at a venue like there is for a Jukebox. Each one of these agencies wish to charge the venue. What is worse is that the license fees exceed what is reasonable for most smaller venues to afford. Offering Karaoke can very easily become a money loss situation when a small establishment is being charged $400 for each license, and they ARE required to have a license from each, bringing the grand total to $1200. If your seating capacity is under 80 then it takes a big bite out of your revenue. In smaller towns a venue can easily be a loss for a fiscal year offering Karaoke or live music do to the draconian license requires.The lack of an unbrella license also offers no guarantee of copyright compliancy. Some venues have choosen to acquire only one license from one of the big three. If a venue decides against a license from BMI, and only acquires a license from ASCAP, then that venue must ensure no copy right material under BMI is used or performed.ASCAP has a database that you can reference to see if the artist or title is under their license:* [http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?mode=search ASCAP: ACE Title Search]ACE is a searchable database that contains information on compositions in the ASCAP repertory ...* [http://www.ascap.com/ace/ ACE Title Search Explained]