Melodial for Retail Stores
Music licensing for retail is confusing, expensive, and easy to get wrong. We built Melodial so you never have to think about it. Fully licensed music for the whole shop floor for £4.99 a month. The licence is in the subscription.
Yes, even the radio at the counter counts.
Most store owners have no idea that the radio behind the counter or the phone propped at the register needs a commercial licence. Fair enough. Nobody tells you until a letter from a collecting society arrives.
The rules say that any music shoppers or staff can hear, whether it's from ceiling speakers, a phone at the register, or a radio behind the counter, counts as a public performance. Personal streaming accounts, CDs, and free-to-air radio all need a separate commercial licence the moment customers can hear them, and there's no exemption for a small boutique.
For a typical store, that licence runs to several hundred a year, on top of what you pay for the music itself. We think that's a rough deal for an independent retailer, so we made a version where the music and the licence are the same £4.99 subscription.
Here's what the traditional route costs a typical retail store, and what we charge instead
Melodial Basic is £4.99/month, music and licence in one bill. No PPL PRS fee, no second streaming subscription.
14-day free trial · No credit card required · Cancel anytime
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Based on published PPL PRS rates for a store of 101 to 200 sqm. Includes 20% VAT. Music vendor is an estimate: a typical business subscription starts around £25 a month. Full details on our licensing guide.
If a collecting society ever contacts you, we've got your back
Certificate of Compliance included. Download your official licence certificate from your account. If PPL PRS or any licensing body contacts your retail store, 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 MelodialPublishing rights
The right to use the underlying composition and lyrics.
✓ Covered by MelodialPublic performance rights
The right to play music in a commercial environment where customers can hear it.
✓ Covered by MelodialMelodial 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.
Playlists for every part of your day
From open to close, Melodial has playlists for every moment. No explicit lyrics, no jarring transitions.
Chart-friendly energy to keep shoppers moving.
Softer pop for a relaxed browse later in the day.
Modern dance-pop for a lively shop floor.
Warm, lively tracks for a welcoming floor.
Start your free trial to hear the full library, 50+ playlists across 30 genres.
Switch in 3 minutes
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Pick a playlist. Connect it to your speakers via the app, Bluetooth, or AUX.
Download your Certificate of Compliance. You're covered from that moment.
Why Melodial costs a fraction of the traditional route
You pay PPL PRS for the public performance licence, then pay a separate streaming vendor for the music itself. Two bills, and every layer between you and the artist takes its share.
Melodial owns or directly licenses every track. There is no PPL PRS fee to add on top, so your subscription is both the music and the licence, for £4.99/month.
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.
Common questions from retail stores
Does my store really need a licence?
Can I just use my Spotify or Apple Music subscription?
Is Melodial really a legal alternative to a PPL PRS licence?
Does it matter how big my store is?
What if PPL PRS contacts my store?
Can I still play Spotify or the radio alongside Melodial?
Do you have mainstream artists?
What does the music actually sound like?
What does Melodial Basic actually include?
Can I cancel anytime?
We have been using Melodial for a short while now and have found it easy to use and pain free to set up, could not be simpler. The variety of music has helped suit our mood and customer base. Since using this product customers seem more relaxed in the shop and spend longer with us which results in stronger sales.
Excellent collection of different types of music and songs at a great price tag. Definitely recommended.
Get your shop floor sorted today.
Music and licence in one subscription, for £4.99/month. One less letter you'll ever have to worry about.
14-day free trial · No credit card required · Cancel anytime
✓ Check your email
We have sent a link to . Click it to set your name and password, it takes 30 seconds.