copyright music
Is it illegal to play copyrighted music on the piano on the street and receive passers-by&#39;s donation?
<p>In America, if I play a piano arrangement, that is, not the original work, of copyrighted music on a street on the piano and receive the donation from passers-by, is this illegal?<br />
And if I do not receive the donation? That is, I do not earn money from it.</p>
<p>Seems that many people did this.</p>

<h2>Yes, it’s illegal</h2>
<p>Public performance is one of the rights covered by copyright.</p>
<p>A piano arrangement is a derivative work and receives its own copyright protection independent of the original work. So, if I were to write an arrangement of Beethoven’s Fur Elise (which is public domain), my arrangement would be protected by copyright - specifically the choices I made that are not in the original work - you would need my permission to play it in public. If I were to write (with permission) an arrangement of Billy Joel’s Piano Man (which is under copyright) you would need the permission of both of us to play that arrangement.</p>
<p>Most jurisdictions have a mechanical copyright system for paying royalties to composers. That is, you can get a licence (permission) to play any music by contacting the administrator of that scheme and paying the appropriate royalties.</p>
