Performing rights are the right to perform music in public. It is part of copyright law and demands payment to the music's composer/lyricist and publisher (with the royalties generally split 50/50 between the two). Performances are considered "public" if they take place in a public place and the audience is outside of a normal circle of friends and family, such as at concerts, nightclubs, or restaurants, though some exceptions to this exist in the U.S. Public performance also includes broadcast and cable television, radio, and any other transmitted performance of a live song.
Permission to publicly perform a song must be obtained from the copyright holder or a collective rights organization.
