How to Play Music Legally in Your Business in Australia

You have two legal options in Australia. Option A, the traditional route: get a public performance licence from OneMusic, then pay separately for a music source. Typical total cost: A$264 to A$8,424 per year. Option B, the direct licence route: use a service like Melodial that owns all its music and includes the licence in the subscription, from A$9.99 per month. Both are fully legal. Option B saves you hundreds or thousands per year.

Option A: the traditional way

This is how most businesses have done it for decades. You need two things.

Step 1: get a public performance licence. Contact OneMusic (APRA AMCOS and PPCA) and apply. They will charge you based on your business type, premises size and how you use music.

Business type	OneMusic annual fee (licence only)
Small retail shop (around 150m², digital music)	A$744
Medium retail store (around 300m²)	A$888
Restaurant or café (30 seats, digital music)	A$1,308
Hair or beauty salon (up to 150m²)	A$642 to A$745
Gym or fitness studio (recorded music + classes)	A$3,912 to A$8,424
Hotel or accommodation (lobby + rooms)	A$500 to A$3,000+
Medical or dental practice	A$642 to A$888

Based on published OneMusic Gold tier rate schedules. Actual fees may vary and do not include a music source.

Step 2: get a music source. The licence only covers the right to play music. It does not include the music itself, so you pay separately for a streaming service, radio or CDs. Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube do not cover commercial use, so even with a paid subscription you still need the licence on top.

Option B: the modern way

Melodial is a music streaming service built specifically for businesses. Melodial owns or directly licenses every track in the catalogue, and none of the music is registered with any collecting society anywhere in the world. That means your subscription includes both the music and the licence. No collecting society fees, no separate application, no annual paperwork.

1. Subscribe to Melodial from A$9.99 per month. No contracts, cancel anytime.
2. Play Melodial exclusively from your phone, tablet, laptop or any device. Twenty-plus genres, thousands of tracks.
3. Download your Certificate of Compliance, instant proof you are fully licensed.

What not to do

Do not play Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube: commercial use violates their terms and does not replace a performing rights licence, so you would be breaking the rules twice. Do not assume the radio is free: the station’s licence covers the broadcast, not your premises. And do not ignore it and hope for the best. OneMusic does not wait for you to come forward. They send letters, make phone calls, send representatives to listen in person, use music recognition technology, and even check social media for music playing in the background of your posts. Businesses are also reported by competitors and former staff. “Too small to notice” is not a real category.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free way to play music legally in my business?

The only completely free option is silence, or music you composed yourself. Any commercially produced music requires either a collecting society licence or a directly licensed service. Melodial starts at A$9.99 per month.

My landlord says the shopping centre has a music licence. Am I covered?

Usually not. A shopping centre’s licence typically covers common areas like hallways and food courts. Your individual shop within the centre needs its own licence for music played inside your premises.

Do I need a licence if only staff can hear the music?

In Australia, playing music for employees generally still counts as a public performance and requires a licence.

How does Melodial avoid collecting society fees?

Melodial owns or directly licenses every track in the catalogue. None of the music is registered with OneMusic or any other collecting society worldwide, so no royalties are owed and no licence fees apply. Your subscription is your licence.