Rights and usage conditions
External video, lyric content, and public-use scenarios may all carry their own conditions. Venues should confirm the relevant terms and permissions for their use case.
Automated VJ makes operation easier, but it does not remove the need for rights awareness.
Rights topics to keep in mind
- Music (BGM)
- In Japan, venue operation is typically covered by a JASRAC/NexTone blanket license. Other jurisdictions use PRS, ASCAP, BMI, etc. Out-of-license tracks need separate treatment.
- YouTube embeds
- YouTube's terms target personal viewing. Public venue display is a separate judgement, especially when combined with any form of commercial benefit.
- Public display of lyrics
- Beyond copyright in the song itself, display rights for lyric text can be separate. Featuring lyrics only during peak moments keeps risk manageable.
- Visuals and lyrics on streams
- Streamed content must satisfy both the streaming platform's terms and the source material's secondary-use conditions.
- Commercial use
- Playing visuals in a venue where guests pay to be present is commercial use. That often exceeds default terms of service, so verify first.
Operational notes
Notifications, sleep settings, screen savers, and automatic OS restarts are common failure points in venue environments. Those are worth checking before event day. On macOS specifically, "sleep on battery saver" lives in a separate panel from the main sleep settings — verify both System Settings > Battery and System Settings > Lock Screen.
A short startup and fallback note also helps when different staff members take over the setup at different times. Permanent deployments are only stable if operation survives staff changes — write it down, do not leave it implicit.
PC settings to verify ahead of time
- Sleep and auto-lock
- macOS: check both System Settings > Battery (or Energy) and System Settings > Lock Screen. Windows: Settings > System > Power & battery, set Sleep to Never.
- Notifications
- macOS: enable Focus / Do Not Disturb. Windows: enable Focus Assist. Prevents Slack, Zoom, and similar apps from flashing notifications onto the show.
- OS auto-restart
- A Windows Update reboot during service is catastrophic. Configure active hours or pause updates. macOS auto-updates deserve the same check.
- Screensaver
- Set explicitly to None. Otherwise an idle screen goes black mid-service.