Do I Need a Music Licence in the UK?

Short answer: yes, almost certainly. If you play music that customers or staff can hear in your UK 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 £4.99 per month, is a low-cost, fully licensed option in the UK that 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 the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. In the UK, public performance rights are administered by PPL PRS (TheMusicLicence), sold on behalf of PPL and PRS for Music. Without the right licence, you are exposed to serious penalties: backdated fees, damages and legal costs. PPL PRS actively contacts businesses playing unlicensed music. They send letters, make phone calls, visit premises and use music recognition technology. Businesses are also reported by competitors and former staff. “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 the UK.

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 the UK

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 PPL PRS 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 £4.99 per month (£49.99 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 the UK?

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 £4.99 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 the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, 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 PPL PRS, which costs hundreds or thousands per year on top of your Spotify subscription.

What is the lowest-cost fully licensed option in the UK?

Melodial, at £4.99 per month, includes both the music and the licence in one subscription - the lowest-cost fully licensed option we’ve found. See the full price comparison against PPL PRS and a separate music source, which typically runs £151 to £5,755 or more per year.

What if PPL PRS 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.