Melodial Legal Assurance: Fully Licensed Music in the US

Melodial’s music model means no public performance or music licensing fees are needed in the US. Here is the legal reasoning, in plain language.

All music fully owned or directly licensed

Melodial is a music service for businesses where every track is fully owned or directly licensed. There are no covers or third-party songs in the catalogue, only original music created for Melodial. Because Melodial holds the necessary rights, it can grant you permission to play the tracks in public without involving any external licensing body or collecting society.

When you subscribe, you are granted a blanket public performance license to play Melodial’s music within your business premises for the duration of your active subscription. This license covers public performance, background music and in-store ambience.

What this means in the US

If a business in the US uses Melodial exclusively, it does not need a license from the four Performing Rights Organizations: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR. Melodial has effectively taken care of the public performance right by holding the music rights and giving you direct permission to use it. No royalties are owed to the PROs when you play Melodial, because the catalogue sits outside their repertoire. Collecting societies themselves acknowledge this model: APRA AMCOS states that you do not have to go through them to legally play music, and PRS for Music notes that music outside its control may simply require a license from the relevant copyright owner, which is exactly what a Melodial subscription is.

The cost of non-compliance

In the US there is no single “fee” for getting caught. The PROs sue for copyright infringement in federal court under the US Copyright Act. Statutory damages run from US$750 to US$30,000 per song, and up to US$150,000 per song if the infringement is willful, plus the rights holders’ attorneys’ fees.

Real case: In BMI v Evie’s Tavern Ellenton (M.D. Fla., affirmed 11th Cir. 2014), a Florida bar that had avoided roughly US$5,651 in licence fees was found liable over just five songs and ordered to pay about US$17,000 in statutory damages plus the rights holders’ fees. Through 2025 and 2026, ASCAP filed repeated rounds of infringement lawsuits against bars and restaurants nationwide.

This is why businesses either pay the PROs fees or use a directly licensed service to stay on the right side of the law.

The three rights you need, all covered

Recording rights, the right to stream a specific sound recording: covered by Melodial. Publishing rights, the right to stream the composition and lyrics: covered by Melodial. Public performance rights, the right to play music in a commercial environment: covered by Melodial.

Compliance, coverage and certification

Every account includes an official Certificate of Compliance you can keep on file as tangible assurance that you comply with music copyright law. One important note: Melodial’s legal benefits apply only while you are playing Melodial’s platform. If you step outside it, for example a personal Spotify playlist or the radio, your business is once again subject to public performance licensing rules and the PROs fees for that music.

In summary, Melodial removes the need for public performance fees in the US entirely: no hidden costs, no reporting requirements and no risk of infringement claims, as long as Melodial is your exclusive music source.

Frequently asked questions

Is Melodial’s direct license legally valid in the US?

Yes. Copyright owners can license their works directly. Because Melodial owns or directly controls its whole catalogue and none of it is registered with the PROs, Melodial can grant your business permission without any collecting society involvement.

What proof do I get?

A Certificate of Compliance, downloadable from your account, confirming that the music you play is fully licensed for commercial use.

Does this cover other music I play?

No. The license covers Melodial’s catalogue only. Any other commercially released music, from radio to Spotify, still requires a license from the PROs.