Playing Music Without a Licence? The Penalties Are Real.

Playing copyright music in your business without a licence is against the law — and OneMusic enforces it with letters, site visits, backdated bills and court action. Melodial includes the music and the licence in one subscription, for only $9.99/month. You're fully compliant the moment you subscribe.

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It's the law — and it's actively enforced

Playing commercially released music where customers can hear it is a public performance under the Copyright Act 1968. If you don't hold the right licence, you're infringing copyright — full stop. It doesn't matter whether the music plays from the radio, a CD, a TV, or a streaming app.

OneMusic doesn't wait for you to come forward. They send letters, make phone calls, send representatives to listen in person, use music-recognition technology, and even check social media for music playing in the background of your posts. Businesses are reported by competitors and former staff, too. "Too small to notice" is not a real category.

What it costs in the UK

Backdated up to six years, plus a 50% surcharge. If PPL PRS establishes you've been playing music without a licence, they can demand backdated fees for the entire period — up to six years under the Limitation Act 1980 — and add a 50% uplift on top to cover the cost of catching you. Persistent cases go to the High Court. Playing music without a licence is copyright infringement under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Real case: A London bar ignored repeated PPL PRS warnings. A High Court order followed — around £1,979 in damages and roughly £17,000 in legal costs, about £19,000 in total, for playing background music.

What it costs in Australia

Court action, back-fees, and additional damages. OneMusic (APRA AMCOS + PPCA) can take your business to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia under the Copyright Act 1968. The court can order you to pay the back licence fees, the rights-holders' legal costs, and additional punitive damages — far more than the licence would ever have cost — along with an injunction stopping you playing music.

Real case: In 2023, after OneMusic made repeated attempts to inform a Queensland venue, the court found the owner had infringed copyright. A business that could have held a roughly $2,000 licence was ordered to pay about $12,500 in legal costs plus a further $40,000 in additional damages, with an injunction barring it from playing music. In 2026, OneMusic also pursued several small bars for full back-fees and costs.

What it costs in the US

$750 to $150,000 per song. In the US there's no single "fee" — the PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR) sue for copyright infringement in federal court. Statutory damages run from $750 to $30,000 per song, and up to $150,000 per song if the infringement is willful, plus the rights-holders' attorneys' fees. A licence from one PRO does not protect you from the others — they each represent different catalogues.

Real case: A small Florida bar was sued by BMI over just four songs and ordered to pay $30,450 in damages plus $9,000 in legal fees — for four songs. Through 2025 and 2026, ASCAP filed repeated rounds of infringement lawsuits against bars and restaurants nationwide.

What it costs in Europe

Back-licensing and damages through your national society. Your national collecting society — GEMA in Germany, SACEM in France, SIAE in Italy, and others — licenses public performance and pursues unlicensed businesses for back-fees and damages under national copyright law. Inspectors visit in person and document unlicensed playback.

Real cases: A Berlin gym paid €42,000 in back-licensing and damages after GEMA inspectors documented two months of unlicensed Spotify playback. A French boutique hotel was assessed €10,000 plus back-fees after a SACEM visit.

Using Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud or YouTube in your business? A personal or premium account does not cover commercial use — every one of these services prohibits it in their terms. Playing from your own account in a café, shop or gym is still unlicensed public performance. These services log when an account streams the same playlist for eight hours a day, seven days a week — and OneMusic treats that for exactly what it is: a business playing music without a licence.

Even "royalty free" music isn't a safe shortcut — here's why one mislabelled track can still get you caught.

How Melodial removes the risk completely

Melodial is different. We own or directly licence every track. None of our music is registered with OneMusic (APRA AMCOS + PPCA) or any other collecting society — so there are no royalties for them to collect, and no licence for you to buy from them.

Your Melodial subscription is your licence. One payment covers the music, the commercial rights, and your entire premises — no per-zone or per-room surcharges.

Certificate of Compliance included. Download your official certificate from your account at any time. If OneMusic or any licensing body contacts your business, show them the certificate — you're covered. And if you need help responding, forward us their email and we'll draft the reply.

Get compliant in 3 minutes

1
Sign up for a free trial — no credit card required.
2
Pick a playlist and connect it to your speakers — 50+ playlists across 24 genres.
3
Download your Certificate of Compliance — you're fully licensed. Cancel your OneMusic licence.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really illegal to play music without a licence?
Yes. Playing commercially released music where customers can hear it is a public performance under the Copyright Act 1968. Without the right licence, it's copyright infringement — regardless of whether you meant to break the rules.
Doesn't my Spotify or SoundCloud Premium account cover my business?
No. Personal and premium subscriptions are for private, non-commercial use only — it's written into their terms. Using one in your venue is still unlicensed public performance, and it leaves a clear record of commercial use on a consumer account.
I haven't been contacted. Doesn't that mean I'm fine?
Not necessarily. Licensing bodies actively monitor businesses through visits, phone calls, music-recognition technology and social media, and they can pursue past unlicensed use once they identify it. Not having heard from them yet isn't protection.
Can they really charge me for the past?
In the UK, PPL PRS can claim backdated fees for up to six years, plus a 50% surcharge, and take persistent cases to the High Court.In Australia, OneMusic can take businesses to the Federal Circuit and Family Court, where courts have ordered back-fees, legal costs, and substantial additional damages.In the US, the PROs sue for copyright infringement, with statutory damages of $750–$150,000 per song plus attorneys' fees.In the EU, national societies pursue back-licensing fees and damages under national copyright law. Either way, the cost of being caught dwarfs the cost of the licence.
How does Melodial make me compliant?
We own or directly licence every track, and none of our music is registered with any collecting society — so there are no fees owed to them. Your subscription is your licence, and you can download a Certificate of Compliance to prove it.
What if I also play some chart music or radio?
If you play any commercially released mainstream music, you still need a OneMusic licence for that music. To be fully covered without it, play Melodial exclusively.

Don't wait for the letter. Get compliant today.

Fully licensed business music — music and licence included, for only $9.99/month. Certificate of Compliance the moment you subscribe. Try it free for 14 days.

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

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