Do Restaurants Need a Music License?

Playing music in a restaurant is a public performance

Under copyright law in most countries, playing recorded music for customers in a restaurant, cafe, or bar constitutes a "public performance." Public performances require a license from the rights holders — which in practice means paying fees to performing rights organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP and BMI in the US, STIM and SAMI in Sweden, PRS in the UK, or GEMA in Germany.

What licenses does a restaurant need?

The specific licenses required depend on your country and how you play music:

• Performance rights — Covers the songwriter and publisher. In the US, this typically means licenses from ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.
• Master recording rights — Covers the recording artist and record label. In the US, this is handled by SoundExchange for digital broadcast, or may be included in a blanket license through a commercial music service.

If you use a commercial music streaming service built for businesses, those services typically include the necessary rights for their catalog.

How much does a restaurant music license cost?

Collecting society fees vary by country, venue size, occupancy, and the type of music used. In the US, annual PRO fees for a small restaurant might range from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars. In Sweden, STIM fees are based on turnover and venue type. Fees from multiple organizations can add up quickly.

Can you avoid these fees?

Yes — by using music that is not registered with collecting societies. Track Studios provides an owned AI music catalog that sits outside the collecting society system. The included music is not registered with STIM, ASCAP, BMI, GEMA, or similar organizations, which means venues using the included catalog do not receive invoices from those specific bodies for that music.

What about streaming services like Spotify?

Spotify, Apple Music, and similar consumer services are licensed for personal use only. Playing them in a restaurant violates their terms of service and does not satisfy your public performance licensing requirements.

Track Studios for restaurants

Track Studios is a background music service built for restaurants, bars, and cafes. It includes a royalty-free AI catalog, browser-based controls for staff, daypart playlist management, audio ads and announcements, and Sonos support — all for €25 per month per location with a 7-day free trial.