Music licensing for hair and beauty salons in United Kingdom

Salon Music - Licence Included

Skip PPL PRS. Get fully licensed background music for your salon, just £4.99/month. Music and licence in one subscription. No collecting society fees.

14-day free trial · No credit card required · Cancel anytime

What salons actually pay for music

Collecting societies charge salons based on the size of the salon, not how much music you actually play. And that's just the licence. The music itself costs extra. Melodial replaces both.

Venue size Spotify + PPL PRS Melodial
Small salonup to 5 chairs £722/yrlicence + streaming £49.99/yrmusic + licence included
Medium salon6 to 10 chairs £770/yrlicence + streaming £49.99/yrmusic + licence included
Large salon11 to 15 chairs £886/yrlicence + streaming £49.99/yrmusic + licence included
Very large salon31 chairs or more £1,576+/yrlicence + streaming £49.99/yrmusic + licence included
Compliant for commercial use? ✗ Spotify prohibits it ✓ Built for business
Certificate of Compliance ✗ Not available ✓ Instant download

PPL PRS fees based on its published rate schedules. Includes 20% VAT. The traditional figure includes an estimated music subscription of about £25/month, since a licence does not include a music source. Full details on our licensing guide.

How can we skip PPL PRS?

PPL PRS collects fees for music registered with collecting societies. If you play mainstream music, Spotify, radio, CDs, you owe them a licence fee, with fees increasing as your salon grows.

Melodial is different. We own or directly licence every track in our catalogue. None of our music is registered with PPL PRS (TheMusicLicence) or any other collecting society. No royalties to collect means no licence fees to pay.

Your Melodial subscription is your licence. One flat price regardless of how big your salon is or how many chairs you have.

Certificate of Compliance included. Download your official licence certificate from your account. If PPL PRS or any licensing body contacts your hair or beauty salon, show them the certificate. You're covered. And if you need help responding, forward us their email and we'll draft the reply.

The three rights you need to play music commercially

There are three separate rights involved in playing music in a business. The traditional system makes you deal with them across multiple bills. With Melodial, all three are in the one subscription.

Recording rights

The right to stream a specific sound recording of a song.

✓ Covered by Melodial

Publishing rights

The right to use the underlying composition and lyrics.

✓ Covered by Melodial

Public performance rights

The right to play music in a commercial environment where customers can hear it.

✓ Covered by Melodial

Melodial owns or directly licenses every track in its catalogue. None of it is registered with any collecting society, so there are no royalties to collect and no licence fees to pay. Your subscription is your licence.

14-day free trial · No credit card required · Cancel anytime

Two ways to legally play music in your hair or beauty salon

PPL PRS licence Melodial
What it is A licence covering mainstream music, songs you hear on the radio. Music not included. An all-in-one subscription. Music and commercial licence in one payment.
You need this if You play chart hits, radio, or specific mainstream tracks your clients request. You want a relaxed, professional atmosphere at a fixed price, without size-based fees.
How it works Annual fee based on the size of the salon. Music source not included. £4.99/month flat. Same price for any size salon. Certificate of Compliance included instantly.

Playing Spotify or Apple Music in your salon? Their terms prohibit commercial use, even with Premium. You still need a licence from PPL PRS, which costs hundreds per year on top of your streaming subscription. Melodial replaces both.

What happens if you play unlicensed music?

PPL PRS actively contacts businesses. They send letters, make phone calls, and use music recognition technology to detect unlicensed music.

The penalties are real. Collecting societies can pursue businesses for backdated fees, damages, and legal costs once they identify unlicensed use. Playing copyright-protected music without a licence is an infringement under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

With Melodial, you're fully compliant from the moment you subscribe. No risk, no paperwork, no surprises.

What our customers say
I looked high and low for an in-store music solution after we started getting hassled (a lot) by a company who wanted to charge us hundreds of dollars a month to use licensed music. I found Melodial and at first it seemed way too easy and very affordable, but we signed up and it is great… good selection and variety at a super cheap price… why would we go elsewhere?
Tracey G, Tracey G Prosthetics and Lingerie · traceyg.com

Playlists made for salons

Set the mood from the first appointment of the day. Every playlist runs continuously with no explicit lyrics, relaxed, professional, and safe for every client.

Pop Energy
Pop Energy
Upbeat · Current · Fun

Chart-friendly energy that keeps the salon buzzing.

Soft Pop
Soft Pop
Mellow · Warm · Easygoing

Softer pop for a relaxed afternoon at the chairs.

Summer Beats
Summer Beats
Sunny · Lively · Warm

Warm, lively tracks for a bright, welcoming space.

Throwback
Throwback
Nostalgic · Retro · Feel-good

Nostalgic throwback hits to lift the salon floor.

Start your free trial to hear the full library, 50+ playlists across 30 genres.

Switch in 3 minutes

1

Sign up for a free trial. No credit card required.

2

Pick a playlist. Connect it to your speakers via the app, Bluetooth, or AUX.

3

Download your Certificate of Compliance. You're covered from that moment.

Common questions from hair and beauty salons

Does my salon really need a licence?
Yes, unfortunately. If a client or staff member can hear music, whether from ceiling speakers, a phone at the front desk, or a radio near the basins, it counts as a public performance and needs a commercial licence, even for a one-chair studio. The good news: with Melodial, that licence is already inside your £4.99/month subscription.
Can I just use my Spotify or Apple Music subscription?
We wish. Personal streaming accounts are licensed for private, non-commercial use only, so playing them where clients can hear the music is still an unlicensed public performance, whatever the tier. Melodial works the same way in practice, an app connected to your speakers, except the commercial licence is built in.
Is Melodial really a legal alternative to a PPL PRS licence?
Yes. Melodial owns or directly licenses every track in its catalogue. None of it is registered with any collecting society, so there are no royalties to collect and no licence fees to pay. Your subscription is your licence.
Does it matter how many chairs I have?
Not with Melodial. PPL PRS typically charges salons based on the number of stylist or treatment chairs, the more chairs, the more you pay. Melodial is a flat £4.99/month regardless of salon size.
I'm a mobile stylist. Does this cover me?
Yes. Your Melodial subscription covers you personally, at a salon, in a client's home, or at any venue. Play from your phone and you're fully licensed. Your Certificate of Compliance proves it.
What if PPL PRS contacts my salon?
If PPL PRS or any licensing body contacts your salon, show them your Melodial Certificate of Compliance. You're covered. And if you need help responding, forward us their email and we'll draft the reply.
Do you have mainstream artists?
No, and that's exactly why you don't need a collecting society licence. Our catalogue is professionally produced music designed for commercial environments. Most clients won't notice the difference, they just want a relaxed atmosphere while they're being looked after.
Can I still play Spotify or the radio alongside Melodial?
If you play any commercially released music, even occasionally, you'll still need a collecting society licence for that music. To fully replace the collecting society fee, play Melodial exclusively during business hours.
What does Melodial Basic actually include?
One flat £4.99/month (or £49.99/year) subscription covers the music and the licence for a single stream, playing to as many speakers as you like at one location. You get a downloadable Certificate of Compliance the moment you subscribe, and can play via any device connected to your speakers.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. No contracts and no cancellation fees. Your access continues until the end of your current billing period.

Note: If your salon specifically requires Top 40 hits or clients request specific mainstream tracks, you will still need a licence from PPL PRS. Melodial is for salons that want a professional atmosphere without the premium cost of mainstream licensing.

Get your salon sorted today.

Music and licence in one subscription, for £4.99/month. One less letter you'll ever have to worry about.

Read the full licensing guide →
Start your free trial No credit card required