Music Licensing: Challenges for Libraries and Cultural Institutions

This presentation explores the complex challenges that libraries face when navigating music licensing and copyright. Kathleen DeLaurenti highlights how restrictive contract terms, refusals to license, and the intricate layers of rights in music often prevent libraries from fully supporting access to content. Drawing from the experience of the Arthur Friedheim Library at Johns Hopkins University, she discusses the limitations of current copyright-based business models and shares an innovative solution: the creation of a public domain songbook to enable performers to access music legally and freely.