Is it legal to stream music on a non-profit site?

[DR.Wong]

Hey everyone.

I have a little non-profit site going. It is just for fun and I want to add a little media player to share my current favourite tracks with my readers.

The tracks will not be available for download, they can only be heard through a flash/xml media player.

Do any of you know if it is legal to play the music on the site. I have read the Small Webcasters Act of 2002 and it seems that it is as I make no revenue but I want to be sure.

Many thanks! :)

[ess]

I am not 100% sure...but I think you could play contents up to a minute, or something close to a minute, where it is acceptable by law. Otherwise, you might have to ask for permission from the artist or record company that holds the copyright.

Also, there are ways for people to download video/music files when flash player is used. do a google search on that...and you should find that it is possible....and as a result, copyright holders can argue that you have provided downloadable contents without their permission.

Though, don't take my word on this...as I have said that I am not 100% sure...so, I suggest that you consult a lawyer if you want to stay away from trouble.

Cheers,
Ess

[DR.Wong]

Thanks for the reply ess.

I will guess I should consult my lawyer, I just hoped there may be a simple answer out there somewhere.. as I say, this is just for fun so it is no train-smash if the answer is no.

[felgall]

You need a public broadcast licence to play music belonging to professional artists on the web. The music industry are one of the most strict at enforcing their copyright.

[evo]

I think this will be useful for you.

http://www.savenetradio.org/