Music in shops and stores can help to enhance the atmosphere and create an environment people enjoy.

Playing music in a shop

Whatever the occasion, music could help to make it even better! That’s why playing music in your shop or store could be highly beneficial to your business and could help your organisation to fulfil its potential.

Whether you’re playing background music on the shop floor or in back office areas for staff, you’ll usually need TheMusicLicence.

By obtaining TheMusicLicence you will be able to play PRS for Music and PPL music legally and enjoy its benefits whilst ensuring that its creators are fairly rewarded for their work.

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Background music licence ppl prs

The power of background music

Whether you’re playing background music on the shop floor or in staff and office areas for employees, background music in your shop or store has the potential enhance the experience you provide to your customers and staff. The right playlist could even help you promote your products or services!

Turn a shop floor into a fiesta and find out more about the power of background music for retail businesses…

How is my music licence cost calculated?

If you play music to customers on a shop floor (100 sqm or less), your combined yearly music licence for a retail shop could cost around £317 (excluding VAT).

The cost of TheMusicLicence varies depending on the specific characteristics of each retail premises so please contact us for a quote. Before doing so, please ensure you’ve read our Music Licence Quote Checklist for each section that is applicable to you, and have the relevant information ready so we can provide an accurate quote for your shop or store music licence.

Quote Checklist

Background music

  • The areas where music is played, such as the shop floor, office areas and cafés
  • The square meterage of each area where music is audible

Specially featured entertainment events, e.g. DJs, discos and fashion shows

  • Number, capacity, duration and attendance of in-store specially featured entertainment events held per year
  • The square meterage of each area where such events are held

Music videos

  • Number of TV screens music videos are played on

Telephone music on hold

  • Details of any telephone on hold music

Understanding your music licence royalties

To help you understand how much TheMusicLicence could cost, you can view the individual PPL and PRS for Music tariffs that may be applicable to you.

PPL Tariffs
  • Background music in shops and stores
    View PDF
  • Fashion shows
    View PDF
  • Specially featured entertainment
    View PDF
  • Background music in restaurants and cafés
    View PDF
  • Background music in offices
    View PDF
  • Telephone on hold music
    View PDF
  • Background music - music videos (VPL tariff)
    View PDF
PRS for Music Tariffs

FAQs

Can I play or perform music by specific artists only?
  • TheMusicLicence covers millions of songs and recordings, including the most popular and well-loved music not just from the UK but also from around the world.
  • You can play or perform the music of specific artists only if you wish, but it will not affect the cost of your licence. That’s because the cost is not calculated based on which music artists you play, but instead depends on factors such as the size of your business or organisation and the ways you use music.
Where does the money go?
  • When businesses and organisations pay PPL PRS Ltd for TheMusicLicence, we pass those royalties on to our parent companies, PPL and PRS for Music (after deduction of our running costs). The royalties are shared between PPL and PRS for Music based on which of their respective licensing tariffs apply to the music usage under your licence, and the costs due under those tariffs.
  • PPL and PRS for Music each have databases storing details of millions of musical compositions and recordings. Together with a wealth of information about what music is being used by customers, this enables PPL and PRS for Music to determine fairly and efficiently which of their members to pay, and how much to pay them.
  • This means that, by purchasing TheMusicLicence, you are supporting the future of music by helping to ensure its creators are paid for their work, so that the people who write, perform and record it can continue making the music you love.

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