Quote Originally Posted by Rongway View Post
Just because it's unusual for someone to discover your local performance and sue you doesn't mean your performance isn't illegal. In the US, if the music in question is not public domain,
  • It's illegal for you to perform someone else's music in a live venue unless you have a performance license.
  • It's illegal to arrange your own cover of someone else's music unless you have a permission to arrange license.
  • It's illegal to record or stream video of someone else's music unless you have a sync license.
  • It's illegal to create an audio recording of your performance of someone else's music without a mechanical license.
  • It's illegal to use a backing track that someone else recorded unless you have a master recording use license.

And that's just US copyright laws.
Ey you got one o' dem dere performance licenses if'n yer gonna play that on yer lute?