For anyone who wants to publicly perform or play music on campus or at a campus-affiliated event in the community, CU Boulder pays annual fees and has blanket agreements with a number of music catalogs for you to search and ensure that you are using the music responsibly. These licenses authorize public performance of music and are now managed by the University Libraries.
The licenses cover a wide variety of campus functions including sporting events, musical performances, fraternity and sorority events, campus cable and radio broadcasts, and more.
Finding out whether a song is covered under the campus licenses is easy:
- Visit the Music Performance License page on the Libraries website.
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Search for the song you would like to perform in the various catalogs.
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Is the song available in one or more catalogs? You are covered! No additional actions are required to play the music.
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Weren’t able to find the song in any of the catalogs? It is likely not covered under the licenses therefore performing it may be a violation of the song’s copyright.
It is important to note, however, that even if the song is in one of the music catalogs, all uses are not covered under the licenses. For example, if you would like to use a song for a CU Boulder affiliated podcast posted to a public website, the license does not cover it and you should use royalty-free music or obtain permission from the copyright holder instead. Be sure to review the coverage, locations and exclusion information under each catalog to ensure its within scope.
You can also email copyright@colorado.edu if you are unsure whether a song and your use is covered.