Music That Gives Back: How Two Charities Put Sound to Work

Through Melodial’s charity program, two very different organisations, Farfield Mill in the Yorkshire Dales and C Care in Melbourne, play fully licensed, on-brand music across their spaces at no cost. For both, that music turns a functional room into a warm, welcoming place for the people they exist to serve.

Charities feel the cost of background music twice: once for a music service, and again for the public performance licence that legally covers playing it. For organisations where every pound or dollar is spoken for, that combined cost is often impossible to justify, so many simply go without, and their spaces feel quieter and less welcoming for it.

Melodial’s charity program removes that barrier entirely. Eligible charitable organisations get access to Melodial’s fully licensed catalogue at no cost, with the commercial licence included, so music becomes something they can offer their visitors, volunteers and communities without touching frontline budgets.

Two organisations, two very different spaces

Farfield Mill is an arts and heritage centre housed in a restored Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Alongside heritage displays and working looms, it hosts changing galleries and exhibitions, resident and visiting artists, craft for sale, workshops and events, and a much-loved tea room. As a charitable organisation, it reinvests every pound into keeping the Mill open and welcoming.

“Melodial’s support has made a genuine difference to us here at Farfield Mill. As a charitable organisation, every penny counts, and without the service they provide, we simply wouldn’t be able to afford to play music in our café and retail areas. The music creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere that enhances our visitors’ experience and helps make the Mill feel vibrant and inviting. We’re incredibly grateful for their generosity and for supporting organisations like ours in such a practical and meaningful way.”

Anna Saczek, General Manager, Farfield Mill

C Care is a Melbourne-based front-line community charity supporting individuals and families experiencing food insecurity and social isolation. Its demand grew rapidly through the COVID-19 pandemic, and today its largely volunteer workforce delivers meals, personalised pantry boxes, fresh produce bags and a Community Club buddy initiative. An ACNC-registered, HACCP-certified charity, C Care serves not just recipients but the volunteers and visitors who pass through its spaces each week.

“We are very grateful to Melodial for generously supporting C Care with access to its platform. As a charity, having simple and reliable access to appropriate background music helps us create a warm and welcoming environment for our community, volunteers and visitors. Melodial’s support is very much appreciated and makes a meaningful difference to organisations like ours.”

Shlomo Nathanson, Co-Founder & CEO, C Care

What the music makes possible

For Farfield Mill, it means a café and retail space that feel vibrant and inviting rather than silent, adding to a visitor experience built around heritage, craft and community. For C Care, it means a calmer, more welcoming environment for the people who rely on its services and the volunteers who make them happen.

In both cases the pattern is the same: a small, practical piece of support that a charity could not easily fund itself, quietly improving the experience of everyone who walks through the door. That is exactly what the charity program is designed to do.