How Much Does a Music Licence Cost in Australia?

OneMusic licence fees depend on your business type, size, and how you use music. Here's the full breakdown — and how to cut your costs by up to 95%.

OneMusic licence costs by business type

OneMusic is the joint initiative between APRA AMCOS and PPCA. Their fees are based on published tariff schedules and vary by business category, floor area or seating capacity, and music source type (Gold, Silver, or Bronze tier).

Business Type OneMusic Annual Fee
Small retail shop
(under 100m², digital music)		 $300–$600
Medium retail store
(100–500m²)		 $600–$1,200+
Restaurant or café
(35 seats, digital music)		 $800–$1,860+
Hair or beauty salon
(under 100m²)		 $250–$500
Gym or fitness studio
(recorded music + classes)		 $1,600–$5,000+
Hotel or accommodation
(lobby + rooms)		 $500–$3,000+
Medical or dental practice $200–$500
Shopping centre
(common areas)		 $2,000–$10,000+

Fees based on published OneMusic Gold tier rate schedules. Actual fees may vary. Fees do not include a music streaming service.

The cost they don't mention

OneMusic only covers the licence — the legal right to play music. It doesn't include the music itself. You still need to pay separately for a music source:

Music Source Monthly Cost Annual Cost
Spotify Premium $13.99 $167.88
Apple Music $12.99 $155.88
Soundtrack Your Brand $29.99+ $359.88+

Spotify and Apple Music don't cover commercial use. Their terms of service explicitly prohibit playing music in a business. Even with a paid subscription, you still need a OneMusic licence on top — making your real annual cost $470–$5,170+ for licence + streaming combined.

The $9.99/month alternative

Melodial includes both the music AND the licence in one subscription. No OneMusic. No APRA AMCOS. No PPCA.

Business Type OneMusic + Music Source Melodial You Save
Small retail shop $470–$770+per year $119per year $351–$651+
Café or restaurant $970–$2,030+per year $119per year $851–$1,911+
Hair or beauty salon $420–$670+per year $119per year $301–$551+
Gym or fitness studio $1,770–$5,170+per year $119per year $1,651–$5,051+

$9.99/month. Music + licence included. No hidden fees. One flat price per location.

How Melodial can charge so much less

We own or directly licence every track in our catalogue. None of our music is registered with APRA AMCOS or PPCA — which means there are no royalties to collect and no licence fees to pay.

Your Melodial subscription IS your licence. No middlemen, no tariff schedules, no annual audits.

Certificate of Compliance included. Download your official certificate proving your music is fully licensed for commercial use. If OneMusic or APRA contacts you, show them the certificate. You're covered.

What happens if you don't have a licence?

Fines up to $150,000 per infringement. Playing copyright-protected music without permission is an infringement under the Copyright Act 1968. OneMusic actively contacts businesses — they send letters, make phone calls, and use music recognition technology like Audoo to detect unlicensed music. Court proceedings can result in damages, legal costs, and injunctions.

Switch in 3 minutes

1
Subscribe to Melodial — $9.99/month or $119/year. No contracts, cancel anytime.
2
Play Melodial exclusively — switch off Spotify, radio, or CDs.
3
Cancel your OneMusic licence — download your Melodial Certificate of Compliance. You're covered.

Frequently asked questions

Can I negotiate my OneMusic fees?
Not usually. OneMusic fees are based on published tariff schedules set by APRA AMCOS and PPCA. The rates are tiered by business type and size. Some payment plan options exist, but the total fee isn't typically negotiable for small businesses.
Do OneMusic fees increase every year?
Yes — OneMusic tariffs are reviewed and often increase annually. Melodial's price is $9.99/month with no annual increases based on venue size or business type.
Is Melodial really just $9.99/month?
Yes. One flat price per location. No per-zone charges, no per-class surcharges, no hidden fees. Music and licence included. The same price whether you're a 50m² shop or a 500m² gym.
What's the catch?
You can only play Melodial music. If you also play mainstream radio, Spotify, or CDs, you'll still need a OneMusic licence for that music. Melodial's certificate only covers our catalogue. But if you play Melodial exclusively, you don't need OneMusic at all.
What kind of music does Melodial have?
Thousands of tracks across 20+ genres — café acoustic, jazz, chill pop, lo-fi, upbeat dance, ambient, wellness, and more. All curated for commercial environments. No explicit lyrics. Listen now to preview.
How does OneMusic pricing actually work?
OneMusic has separate rate schemes for different business types (dining, retail, fitness, accommodation, etc.). Within each scheme, fees are tiered by floor area or seating capacity, and vary based on your music source type — Gold tier (digital/streaming), Silver tier (radio/TV), or Bronze tier (music on hold). Most businesses using streaming or digital music fall into the Gold tier, which is the most expensive.

Cut your music licence costs by up to 95%

Join thousands of Australian businesses paying $9.99/month instead of hundreds or thousands to OneMusic. Start your free trial today — no card required.

Start Your Free Trial →