post Re: Is permission required to stream music on my website? in Account

Is permission required to stream music on my website?

Lesismore — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 16:59:15 GMT

I've read a number of "licensing" questions here, but to make it clear to me: Am I able to play a song as background music on my private website (available only to my family on a back page with password-issued sign-in)? I understand about giving credit to the artist. Do I require explicit permission, need to pay for it, or is it forbidden altogether?

I want to do the right thing. Thanks for any info.

Moderator Edit: Edited title for clarity

Re: Music Licensing

AdamPandora — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 16:58:40 GMT

@Lesismore Broadcasting Pandora over live stream is a violation of our Terms of Use.

You can read more about your individual license to use the service under our Terms of Use in Section 6.

Thanks for listening!

Re: Music Licensing

Lesismore — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Thanks for the reply. I've done a bit of research on this now, and hope this will be helpful if the question ever comes up again.

I should have stated my original question more succinctly. I wasn't asking about broadcasting anything over a live stream through Pandora. Of course, that would be in violation. I simply discovered a song (on Pandora) and thought how nice it would be as a background for my family's private web page. So, in general terms, I was wondering "How can I do that legally?" Artists deserve to be paid for their talent and creative efforts, which is why I PAY for the Family Plan on Pandora. I appreciate that Pandora works hard to legally secure those streaming rights for us subscribers.

I've since learned that I could contact the record label and ask. If amenable, they MAY be willing to negotiate a license for that one specific song, with specific terms for private use, and I may or may NOT have to pay for it. Or they could just flatly deny me.

I've seen loads of YouTube videos with background music (many of which are here on Pandora), and they simply give the artist credit in the description text of the video. In retrospect, I'm not sure that's legal, and if it isn't, well then they're for stealing from the artist.

In the end, it's just too much trouble. If I ever DO decide to go down that rabbit hole, it will be with royalty-free music. Thanks again for helping!

Re: Is permission required to stream music on my website?

glenjoe — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:20:43 GMT

@Lesismore wrote:

I've read a number of "licensing" questions here, but to make it clear to me: Am I able to play a song as background music on my private website (available only to my family on a back page with password-issued sign-in)? I understand about giving credit to the artist. This actually reminds me of looking at a culver menu just because you can see all the items listed doesn’t mean you can simply walk behind the counter and take one home. You can check more about it here. Do I require explicit permission, need to pay for it, or is it forbidden altogether?

I want to do the right thing. Thanks for any info.

I actually have the same question because I’m trying to figure out the rules around playing music on a small, private website as well. Even though the site is password-protected and only accessible to family members, I’m not sure whether that makes a difference in terms of copyright. I know giving credit to the artist is important, but I’ve read that just crediting someone doesn’t automatically give you the right to play their music, even in a private or non-commercial setting.

I’m also wondering if there’s a clear distinction between needing explicit permission versus using a paid license, or if some songs are simply off-limits unless you have formal rights. It would be really helpful to hear from anyone who has navigated this before, or knows whether there are safe ways to use music in a private website environment without accidentally infringing copyright. I want to make sure I do the right thing and avoid any legal issues.

Moderator Edit: Link sharing