Pre-recorded planetarium shows are often associated with music, interludes and presentation of pictures. The planetarium acts like an artist or broadcaster, so, a public performance is due to copyright laws, unless the facility itself is the composer, producer or publisher. Buying a CD from a music store confers the rights for private use, but not for public places like theaters, shopping malls, radio stations -- and planetaria. This commercial use of the music as well as pictures demands payment (royalty) to the copyright owner. That permission can be obtained on two different ways: either directly from the copyright owner (composer, publisher), or from a "performance rights organisation". The latter acts as an intermediary between a collective of many copyright holders and those who wish to use the copyrighted works (customers). As such, it manages simultaneously a great repertoire of songs, and keeps negotiations with the rights holders. The licence details differ due to national laws, however, there is at least one performance rights organisation in each country.

Links to selected national performance rights organisations:

Argentina: SADAIC
Australia: APRA-AMCOS
Austria: AKM
Belgium: SABAM
Brazil: UBC
Canada: SOCAN
Chile: SCD
Czech: OSA
Denmark: KODA
Finland: TEOSTO
France: SACEM
Germany: GEMA
Great Britain: PRS
Hungary: ARTISJUS
India: IPRS
Italy: SIAE
Japan: JASRAC
Mexico: SACM
Netherlands: BUMA-STERMA
New Zealand: APRA-AMCOS
Norway: TONO
Poland: ZAIKS
Portugal: SPA
Russia: RAO
Spain: SGAE
Sweden: STIM
Switzerland: SUISA
United States: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC