Do I Need a Music Licence in Europe?

Short answer: yes, almost certainly. If you play music that customers or staff can hear in your European business, whether from Spotify, the radio, a USB stick, CDs or any streaming service, you need a licence to play it commercially. There is no size exemption. A directly licensed service like Melodial, at €6.99 per month, is one of the more cost-effective fully licensed options in Europe, and includes both the music and the licence.

Why the licence is required

Playing recorded music where customers or staff can hear it is a public performance under national copyright law in each EU member state. In Europe, public performance rights are administered by your national collecting society, such as GEMA in Germany, SACEM in France, SIAE in Italy, Buma/Stemra and Sena in the Netherlands, SGAE in Spain or SABAM in Belgium. Without the right licence, you are exposed to serious penalties: backdated fees, damages and legal costs. National collecting societies actively contact businesses playing unlicensed music. Inspectors visit premises in person and document unlicensed playback, and societies also use letters, phone calls and music recognition technology. “Too small to notice” is not a real category.

Wondering what happens if you do not comply? See the real penalties for playing music without a licence in Europe.

Does my situation require a licence?

Situation	Licence status
Playing Spotify in my shop	Licence required. Spotify’s terms only cover personal use, even with Premium.
Playing the radio	Licence required if customers or staff can hear it.
Playing CDs or USB music	Licence required. Buying music only grants personal use rights.
Playing YouTube or Apple Music	Licence required. Personal streaming services prohibit commercial use.
No music at all	No licence needed.
Playing Melodial exclusively	Licence included. Your subscription is your commercial licence.

What a music licence normally costs in Europe

Traditional licensing means paying a music rights organisation for permission to play music in public, and then paying separately for the music itself.

Depending on the size of your business and how many people come through your space, this can run to thousands per year.

There is a much cheaper option

Melodial includes both the music and the licence in a single subscription. Because Melodial owns or directly licenses every track in the catalogue, none of the music is registered with your national collecting society or any other collecting society, so there are no royalties to collect and no licence fees to pay.

Get licensed in three steps:

1. Subscribe to Melodial for €6.99 per month (€69.99 per year). No contracts, cancel anytime.
2. Play Melodial exclusively. Switch off Spotify, radio and CDs, and use the streams, playlists or mobile app instead.
3. Download your Certificate of Compliance, official proof that your music is fully licensed for commercial use.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a music licence for a small business in Europe?

Yes. There is no size exemption. Even a one-person shop or a small waiting room needs a licence if music can be heard by customers or staff. With Melodial, your subscription covers one stream at a single premises of any size, for €6.99 per month.

What if I just play the radio?

You still need a licence. Playing the radio in a business counts as a public performance of copyrighted music under national copyright law in each EU member state, and collecting societies pursue businesses for this.

What if I use Spotify Premium?

Spotify’s terms of service prohibit commercial use. Even with Premium, you would need a separate public performance licence from your national collecting society, which costs hundreds or thousands per year on top of your Spotify subscription.

What is a cost-effective music licence option in Europe?

Melodial, at €6.99 per month, includes both the music and the licence in one subscription. The alternative is typically a separate streaming subscription plus a licence from your national collecting society costing €500 to €5,000 or more per year.

What if your national collecting society contacts my business?

Show them your Melodial Certificate of Compliance. It proves your music is fully licensed and not part of any collecting society’s catalogue. If they press further, forward Melodial their email and the team will help you respond.