The exclusive right of the copyright owner to authorize the performance or transmission of the work in public.
Performance rights organizations (PRO) such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC issue licenses on behalf of the copyright owner or his agent granting the right to perform the work in, or transmit the work to, the public. Most nations have their own performance rights organizations. In the United Kingdom it's PRS, in Canada SOCAN, in Australia APRA, in Germany GEMA, in the Netherlands BUMA/STEMRA and so forth. These groups link their database of songs so they are aware of each other's listings. If a song registered with ASCAP and created by an American composer is played on the radio in another country, the country's performance rights organization will log that performance and send ASCAP a report of all performances of that song (usually on a quarterly basis).
The exclusive right of the copyright owner to authorize the reproduction of a musical work as in a record, cassette or DVD.
Licenses on behalf of the copyright owner or his agent, usually to a record company, granting the record company the right to reproduce and distribute a specific composition at an agreed upon fee per unit manufactured and sold.
Music publishers issue licenses as copyright owner or his agent, usually to a producer, granting the right to synchronize the musical composition in timed relation with audio-visual images on film or videotape.
Licensing the exclusive rights on behalf of copyright owners in a sound recording (which is separate from the copyright in the underlying musical works) to authorize many digital transmissions (f.e. Internet streaming).