Music license for business:
cafes, shops and venues

When a venue actually needs a music license

A license is needed whenever music you don't own plays in a place open to customers or the public. It doesn't matter whether it comes from the radio, an administrator's computer or a personal streaming account: that is public performance, and the right to it has to come from the rights holder or from a performing rights organization (PRO).

There are fewer exceptions than people think. In most countries a small floor area, no admission fee or quiet volume do not automatically remove the requirement. The details depend on where you operate, so check your local rules.

Three ways to license music, and what each involves

First: a license from the PROs in your country, such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR in the US, PRS for Music in the UK, SOCAN in Canada, APRA AMCOS in Australia and New Zealand, GEMA in Germany, JASRAC in Japan or LMKN in Indonesia. It suits you if you want to play music by well-known artists. It usually means regular fees and paperwork, and the terms depend on the country and the type of venue.

Second: direct agreements with the rights holders of each track. Legally clean, but in practice impossible for a background playlist of thousands of works.

Third: a background music service that includes a public-performance license for its own catalog, where the tracks are not registered with PROs. Then you don't need separate PRO licensing for that music, and the service agreement is the document you hold. That is how Harmonia works.

Which documents you get

The subscription agreement with a public-performance license for your venue, and a license certificate (PDF) for each location that you can show during an inspection.

These documents cover the music you play from our catalog. Music from other sources, such as the radio or your own playlists, is a separate question and may need its own license.

Launch within one business day

Send an application and we approve it within a business day. After that, the music plays on the devices you already have in the venue: a POS terminal, tablet, laptop, mini-PC with a speaker or a Smart TV.

Staff don't have to pick anything each morning. Playlists and the schedule are set once, then the music starts by itself and doesn't repeat during a shift. For a chain, everything is managed centrally, by location and zone, from one account.

How much it costs

One plan, no bundles and no extra fees for genres or devices. The price depends only on the number of locations and zones.

Prices are per month when billed annually, which is the cheapest option. Monthly billing is available and costs more. After your application is approved, we send an invoice or a payment link. Full plan terms

Frequently asked questions