Entertainment & Attractions Music Licence
Keep your customers laser focused, strike a chord and legally play music in your entertainment and attractions with TheMusicLicence.
Whether it’s to level up your arcade, enhance your escape room, or to add a soundtrack to your strikes, you’ll usually need a music licence from PPL PRS.
By obtaining TheMusicLicence you’ll 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.

Home » TheMusicLicence » Sectors » Entertainment & Attractions
Music in cinemas
TheMusicLicence will cover your cinema/premises/business for almost every type of music usage.
This includes music that is used:
- Within films
- Within cinematic presentations of live music events
- As background music in auditoriums and other area
- As additional music on your premises (such as live music, DJ sets and theatrical performances etc.)

Music in Bowling Alleys
Playing background music in your bowling alley could enhance your atmosphere, improve the morale of your employees and create a more enjoyable experience for your customers. The thrill of getting a strike or achieving a high score can be amplified when sound tracked by familiar and uplifting music.

Using music can help strengthen your brand identity. For example, a bowling alley and amusement arcade with an American diner theme could reinforce this by playing music that aligns with this style. This can create a memorable day out and increase the likelihood or repeat business.
You could also consider extending the use of music beyond the main bowling area to other parts of your premises. Incorporating background music into your restaurant, bar or café, toilets and even the main entrance could further enhance the ambiance and create a more cohesive and engaging environment for your customers.
Music in Amusement Arcades
Music can play a vital role in creating a vibrant, high-energy atmosphere that can draw people into an amusement arcade. TheMusicLicence allows you to legally play music to energise your space, sustain your customer’s engagement, and enhance the overall experience. But the benefits go beyond the tracks you play within your space – many arcade games themselves feature licensed music as an integral component of the game.

In-Game Music
In addition to any background music you play, you may need to be covered for any in-game music featured in your arcade machines. You may not realise this, but the music that is created for these games could be subject to copyright and requires TheMusicLicence for public performance.
By having this covered under TheMusicLicence, not only are you recognising the value of the music within these games, but you are also supporting the artists, musicians, publishers and composers who have created the music featured in-game.
Events and Promotions
Using music in your venue can open exciting possibilities beyond just background ambiance. You could host engaging gaming tournaments or high-score competitions where a dynamic soundtrack could amplify the excitement. These events can become key promotional drivers, attracting new customers and fostering a vibrant community within your amusement arcade.
Music in Laser Quest/Laser Games
The use of music in your laser quest arena could improve the experience of your customers in a few different ways; you could play upbeat music to reinforce the intensity of your laser quest games, matching the pace of the games. You could even use music from a popular film franchise to help get your customers in the zone, making their experience immersive and encouraging role play in the process.
You could also use music in other areas of your premises, such as the changing rooms or foyers to help them get in the mood for an upcoming game or play more calmer music after the games to help your customers cool down.

Set the mood and theme
By using background music, you can create a specific atmosphere for the matches your customers participate in. A carefully curated playlist consisting of futuristic or sinister music could make your venue feel immersive, helping your customers feel like they are stepping into the realms of a science fiction or thriller film.
Enhance immersion and facilitate roleplay
Music can assist with the suspension of disbelief, helping players to get “in character” and fully buy into the world of the game. You could use dark, electronic music to make your players feel like a stealth operative, or rock music to make them feel like an action hero.
Increase adrenaline and create excitement
Fast paced and energetic music can boost adrenaline and can make players feel more engaged in the game, immersing them further into the experience. It can also elevate competitiveness and the sense of urgency, which can encourage more active participation.
Improve the pace and flow of the game
In addition to using music as the backdrop for the game, you can use music to signal different phases of the game, such as countdowns and sudden-death rounds. By using music this way, you can increase the intensity of the game and heighten the stakes for the players involved.
Music in Bingo Halls
Bingo is a classic game that has entertained people for generations. As simple as it is, there are many ways to utilise music to enhance the experience. You can transform a standard bingo game into an engaging and memorable event.

Enhance engagement and excitement
Music has the power to capture attention and evoke emotions. By using upbeat and lively tracks during a game of Bingo, you can increase player engagement significantly. Rhythmic beats and catchy songs can make the game feel more exciting and dynamic, encouraging participants to be more involved.
Encourage social interaction
Music can bring people together, and it can do the same in a bingo setting. Shared experiences that revolve around music can serve as a conversation starter, helping players interact and form connections, which can enhance the overall enjoyment of the game and encourage repeat visits from your customers in the future.
Attract new customers
By incorporating a well curated playlist or live music, your bingo hall can appeal to a broader audience, including younger demographics who may not typically visit these venues. Ultimately, the enhancement made by using music can differentiate your bingo hall from its competitors, increase foot traffic, and foster a loyal customer base.
Music in Circuses
Music has been used in circuses for centuries, adding a dynamic and an engrossing element to the variety of performances that a circus would typically feature.
By featuring background music or using live entertainment, you can evoke a wide range of emotions from the crowd, from excitement and joy to suspense and wonder. By carefully selecting and timing musical numbers, circus producers can heighten the audience’s emotional experience. Whether it’s the thumping beat that accompanies a daring trapeze act, or the whimsical tune that underscores a clown’s act, music can help to create an emotional connection between the performers and the audience.

Amplify the atmosphere
The right choice of music can transform the atmosphere of a circus, setting the tone for each act and the overall show. Upbeat and lively music can energise the audience and create a fun, exciting atmosphere, while slower, more dramatic choices can add a sense of mystery and intrigue. By using music effectively, you can enhance the visual spectacle of the circus.
Synchronising performances
Music can play a critical role in coordinating and synchronising circus acts, especially those that require precise timing and teamwork. For example, acts such as acrobats and jugglers often rely on musical cues to execute their routines perfectly. The tempo and rhythm of the music help performers maintain their timing, ensuring that each act is performed with precision and style.
Creating a memorable experience
A powerful soundtrack can help make your circus show an unforgettable experience. Iconic circus tunes have become embedded into popular culture — songs and melodies that are instantly recognisable and often associated with joyful childhood memories. By integrating a memorable soundtrack into your circus production, you can leave a lasting and positive impression on your audience.
Encourage audience participation
Music can also be an effective tool for engaging the audience and encouraging participation. Playing a beat for the audience to clap along to or choosing a familiar tune for them to sing with can create a sense of community and shared experience. By adding an interactive aspect through music, you can make the circus feel more inclusive and engaging, cultivating a deeper connection between the performers and the audience.
Music in Escape Rooms
Over the years, the popularity of escape rooms has grown exponentially, offering participants a unique mix of puzzles, storytelling and teamwork, with many of these immersive experiences popping up around the country in a variety of themes. By incorporating music into your escape room, you can enrich the experience for your customers in many ways.

Enhance the experience
Music is a powerful tool that could change the mood of a space in an instance. By using a carefully curated soundtrack, you can create an immersive atmosphere that can transport your customers into the world of the story.
If your escape room is themed after a television show or film, you can incorporate recognisable themes to enhance immersion, making fans feel like they’ve stepped directly into the world of their favourite franchise.
Music is much more than an element that can help complement the aesthetics. By integrating music, escape rooms can be an unforgettable journey that will keep participants coming back for more to experience the other rooms and challenges
Support your storytelling
At the heart of every successful escape room is a captivating story. Music can play a vital role in storytelling and can be used to emphasis key narrative moments and plot developments.
You can use music to heighten a countdown, signal critical clues or to emphasise a successful escape at the end of the experience for your customers. By using music this way, you can fully immerse your customers into the story and make it a memorable experience, one that they will recommend to other potential customers.
Get a quote
If you’ve got all your information ready, please contact us or complete our Get TheMusicLicence form to arrange a quote.
Call us on 0116 290 0525
(8am-6pm, Monday-Friday)
Cinema Guide Download
Annual returns for cinemas are due on the 31st January 2023.
For help completing the review forms and understanding which tariffs apply to you, download our free guide.
View BrochureRelated articles

The Six Nations
The Six Nations is set to go ahead in March, and as a venue owner or manager you may be considering how

Going out is the new staying in
It may not be immediately apparent, between early morning alarms and endless late-night finishes, but chances are your day-to-day routine is actually

The Benefits of Live Events & Entertainment
Live events & entertainment for businesses Live music – Turn it up! Music makes a moment. Whatever the occasion, live music events
Thinking about playing music in your cinema or attraction and want to know more?
What is TheMusicLicence?
What is TheMusicLicence
Do I need a music licence?
Do I need a music licence?
Where does my money go?
Where does my money go?
How do I get TheMusicLicence?
Call us on 0116 290 0525
(8am to 6pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 3pm Friday)
Alternatively you can complete the online form and an adviser will be in touch.