Can I have a station that plays only songs from one (or a few) of my favorite artists?

Generally, no. Based on a recent law passed by Congress called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"), detailed rules were developed regarding the sorts of Internet broadcasts that are eligible for compulsory licenses. With the sole exception of Internet broadcasts that exclusively include recordings in which you own all copyrights (such as recordings featuring your performance or possibly the performance of a band in which you are a member), only Internet broadcasts that are "eligible" for compulsory licenses may be posted on the Live365.com Web site. Please read our complete set of rules for "eligible" Internet broadcasts.

One key rule relates to the number of songs from a particular artist that may be included in an "eligible" Internet broadcast. As a general matter, in any three-hour period, you should not intentionally program:

  • more than three songs (and not more than two songs in a row) from the same recording (or album); or
  • more than four songs (and not more than three songs in a row) from the same recording artist or anthology/box set.

Because of this rule, you cannot legally have a program that plays only music from one artist or a small number of artists.

Still need help? Email legalinfo@live365.com.