How much does a business music licence cost?

The amount depends on the country, repertoire, business scheme and music activity. Obtain a quote for your actual use and separate service subscription, additional public-performance rights and equipment.

Is one music licence valid worldwide?

Do not assume so. Territory and represented rights are part of the permission. A supplier may operate in several countries while leaving different local licensing obligations to each venue.

Do I need ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR?

The answer depends on which represented music you perform and what your supplier or direct agreements already cover. These organisations are separate; one organisation’s licence does not automatically cover another’s repertoire.

Does a streaming subscription include public-performance rights?

Sometimes particular performances are covered under a business supplier’s arrangement, but scope varies. Consumer subscriptions should not be assumed to permit commercial use; obtain written country-specific coverage.

Is a small-shop licence the same price as a café licence?

Not necessarily. Different schemes can use area, seating, attendance or other inputs. Use the scheme for the actual activity rather than borrowing a price from a superficially similar business.

Is royalty-free music free of charge?

Not necessarily. Royalty-free describes a licensing model, not a zero price. The agreement still needs to cover the music rights and intended use, with local obligations assessed separately.

How Much Does a Music Licence Cost for a Business? (2026)

Why there is no single global business music licence price

A music licence is permission for a defined use of specified music. The cost depends on who controls the rights, where the business operates and what happens at the venue. An annual background music quote for a small shop cannot safely be applied to a restaurant, gym class or second country.

Build your budget in three parts: music access or service subscription, any additional public-performance rights, and equipment or setup. Where a supplier bundles rights, identify exactly which part it includes. This avoids both overlooking a required licence and counting the same covered use twice.

Sources reviewed: 4 October 2026. Country examples below explain how to obtain a relevant fee. Numeric examples are limited to verified current official information; currencies are not converted into a misleading worldwide price ranking.

Country comparison: organisations and fee inputs

Country	Relevant organisations	What to establish for a quote	Official starting point
United States	ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR for their respective composition repertoires	Venue type, represented music, activity and provider coverage	BMI / GMR
United Kingdom	PPL PRS / TheMusicLicence	Business activity, audible area or capacity and applicable tariffs	TheMusicLicence
Australia	OneMusic Australia: APRA AMCOS and PPCA	Scheme, area or seating, source and class or featured use	OneMusic
New Zealand	OneMusic: APRA AMCOS and Recorded Music NZ	Appropriate business scheme and declared music use	OneMusic NZ
Sweden	STIM and SAMI for their applicable rights	Business type, floor area, opening days or other activity-specific inputs	STIM / SAMI

This is a guide to common routes, not a claim that every business must buy every listed licence. Supplier arrangements, direct permissions, statutory exceptions and repertoire can change the position. Obtain confirmation for the music and activities you will actually use.

United States: repertoire and service coverage matter

ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and Global Music Rights are separate performing-rights organisations. A licence for one organisation’s represented music does not automatically cover the others. GMR’s official FAQ explains that distinction and states that its rate depends on the business type and how music is presented.

Commercial background music supplier arrangements can handle certain performances, subject to their terms. Ask what happens if you add live music, TV, a DJ or another source outside the supplied service. Do not assume that a subscription’s coverage extends to an unrelated performance.

BMI’s current Licensing Center FAQ explains that pricing is now published separately from its consolidated terms. Old agreement PDFs may therefore be the wrong place to obtain today’s fee. SESAC likewise offers business-specific licensing through its official licensing page.

There are limited statutory exceptions, including particular radio and TV situations; do not generalise them to streamed playlists. For the legal text, consult 17 USC section 110. Our United States guide provides a country-specific starting point.

United Kingdom: identify the applicable tariffs

TheMusicLicence is supplied through PPL PRS and covers applicable permissions for music from the represented rights holders. The amount depends on how the business uses music. Background listening and featured entertainment should not be treated as interchangeable uses.

Ask which PPL and PRS tariffs form the quoted total, the relevant size or capacity measurement, effective dates and VAT. A price copied from one component of a tariff may not be the complete combined licence cost. Nor is a promotional “per day” figure necessarily a daily purchasing option.

For a restaurant, prepare the customer areas and entertainment schedule. For a shop, measure the space where music is audible rather than inventing an estimate from the number of tills. Continue with the United Kingdom country guide.

Australia: a verified retail cost example

OneMusic Australia’s current Retail & Service Providers guide lists Silver at AUD 190.38 annually for a 1–50 m² retail area under the 1 September 2026–31 August 2027 period, including GST. This is one package and size band, not the price of every Australian music licence.

A different source or eligible single-device setup can change the package. Dining uses seating and source, while class music requires its own assessment. The OneMusic cost article contains detailed current examples and source definitions; the OneMusic introduction explains when it may apply.

To select an actual playback option rather than just a licence, read background music for Australian businesses and the Australia country guide.

New Zealand: use the local OneMusic scheme

OneMusic New Zealand is the licensing initiative of APRA AMCOS and Recorded Music NZ. Its business portal directs users to the relevant scheme and calculation based on music use. It is not the same fee schedule as OneMusic Australia.

Prepare the premises information and playback activity requested for that scheme. Check NZD, GST, the licence period and whether a supplier already supplies a particular right. Do not import an AUD retail example into a New Zealand budget merely because both organisations use the OneMusic name.

Use our New Zealand guide to identify local organisations and the questions to ask.

Sweden: STIM and SAMI answer different rights questions

STIM’s store licensing page says its retail fee is based on floor area and opening days. SAMI’s 2026 price-list page separates business types and describes factors such as area, visitors and the role music plays.

Confirm each applicable rights component. A composition licence and permission concerning recorded performances are not interchangeable. Ask the supplier whether the specific catalogue and playback use require any further local arrangement.

Compare quotes in SEK, with their applicable VAT and annual period stated. A gym or restaurant should use its own activity category rather than assuming a shop’s area calculation is universal. Our Sweden guide connects these questions to the local rights framework.

The factors that can change your total

Repertoire: which organisation or rights holder controls the actual music?
Venue type: a café, hotel and fitness class can use different schemes.
Audience measure: area, capacity, customers or other tariff-specific inputs.
Music use: background listening, featured entertainment, live performances and classes.
Music source: supplier streaming, radio, recordings and uploaded audio.
Locations and zones: rights coverage and service billing may count them differently.
Additional media: music-on-hold, online video and advertising require separate consideration.

A business that starts with lobby music and later adds a weekly live event should revisit its coverage. Keep changes in a short music-use record so the next renewal reflects what actually happens.

Does royalty-free music remove every licensing cost?

No automatic conclusion follows from the label. A direct or royalty-free agreement can cover particular music rights and change which society licences are needed, but the scope must match the venue, territory and activity. Read the licence and keep evidence.

Ask whether both the underlying work and the recording are covered, whether public business playback is authorised and whether there are excluded uses. For AI-generated catalogues, assess the commercial-use arrangements without assuming a copyright ownership claim answers every local question. See royalty-free business music and our licensing guide.

A quote checklist and a realistic budget

Request an itemised quote with territory, source, repertoire, venue measurements, activity, annual price, tax, renewal period and exclusions. Ask the supplier to identify any rights included in its service and any licence the business must obtain directly. Keep that answer with the contract.

For illustration, Track Studios currently lists EUR 25 per month per location on its pricing page, equivalent to EUR 300 for twelve monthly payments at that unchanged rate. This is a service-price calculation, not a universal legal-cost quote. Assess any local public-performance obligations applicable to your actual repertoire and use, as well as equipment costs.

A useful comparison therefore has two columns: “what we pay” and “what that payment covers.” It is more reliable than ranking suppliers by the lowest headline number.

Primary sources

This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Confirm the rights, terms and rates for your own business and music use.