How to Play Music Legally in Your Business in the US

You have two legal options in the US. Option A, the traditional route: get a public performance license from the PROs, then pay separately for a music source. Typical total cost: US$800 to US$5,000 or more per year across the four PROs. Option B, the direct license route: use a service like Melodial that owns all its music and includes the license in the subscription, from US$6.99 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 license. Contact ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR, the four Performing Rights Organizations (the PROs), and apply. They will charge you based on your business type, premises size and how you use music.

Business type	Typical annual cost (four PROs + music source)
Small retail store (under 2,000 sq ft)	US$1,200+
Restaurant or café (under 3,000 sq ft)	US$2,500+
Hair or beauty salon	US$800+
Gym or fitness studio (recorded music + classes)	US$2,000 to US$5,000+

Each PRO charges separately and rates vary by venue type, size and music use. Figures include a typical streaming subscription and are indicative.

Step 2: get a music source. The license 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 license 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 license. No collecting society fees, no separate application, no annual paperwork.

1. Subscribe to Melodial from US$6.99 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 license, so you would be breaking the rules twice. Do not assume the radio is free: the station’s license covers the broadcast, not your premises. And do not ignore it and hope for the best. The PROs actively contact businesses playing unlicensed music. They send letters, make phone calls, send representatives to listen in person and use music recognition technology. A license from one PRO does not protect you from the others, because each represents a different catalog. “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 license or a directly licensed service. Melodial starts at US$6.99 per month.

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

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

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

It depends on the number of employees and the size of the premises, but most US businesses still need licenses from ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. A narrow exemption under Section 110(5)(B) covers only radio and TV broadcasts in small establishments under strict size and equipment limits.

How does Melodial avoid collecting society fees?

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