Can you play your own music in a pub?
Asked by: Houston Schinner | Last update: February 17, 2026Score: 4.3/5 (12 votes)
Yes, you can play your own music in a pub, but you need proper licensing to do so legally, as it's considered a public performance; this involves securing licenses from Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC to cover copyrighted music, though exceptions exist for public domain songs or specific small-scale radio/TV broadcasts. Using a licensed background music service or getting licenses from the PROs directly are common ways to comply, with hefty fines possible for infringement.
Do I need a license to play music in my bar?
U.S. copyright law requires you to obtain permission from music copyright owners to play their music in your business. Instead of reaching out to hundreds of thousands of music creators yourself, a single ASCAP license agreement gives you permission to play music from any ASCAP member.
Can I play music in a pub?
An entertainment licence is issued by your local authority. It gives you permission to provide entertainment on your premises. It may be subject to certain conditions such as time restrictions or number of people attending. You will still need a music licence for your bar or pub.
Can you legally play Spotify in a bar?
It's not legal to use Spotify in public places for any size and type of business including hotels, retail stores, restaurants, bars, offices, medical clinics, gyms, salons, spas or schools. With Spotify, you can only stream music for non-commercial, personal entertainment use.
Can you play music in a bar?
Music Matters in Bars & Restaurants
So, regardless of whether music is performed by a live band, DJ, karaoke, jukebox or other recorded use such as streaming, radio, CD or TV, permission must be granted from the copyright owner. This is where BMI can help.
How to start gigging as a young musician
Am I allowed to play music in public?
To stay compliant with copyright law — and avoid penalties for copyright infringement — you need public performance licenses that grant you permission to play copyrighted music from an artist or band in a public place.
Can you play your own music in a restaurant?
If you want to play music in your restaurant, contact a professional music provider. Not only will they handle all of the legal work and fees associated with music licensing, but they can also provide your business with an unforgettable music experience designed exclusively for your brand.
Can I play YouTube in my bar?
YouTube Music is licensed for individual, non-commercial use only. Playing it in public settings requires additional commercial licensing through performing rights organizations (PROs).
Can pubs use Spotify?
Spotify accounts are for personal use only. This means you can't broadcast or play Spotify publicly from a business, such as bars, restaurants, schools, stores, salons, dance studios, radio stations, etc.
How can I legally play music in my business?
Obtain a License from PROs: Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, GMR, and SESAC collect fees for public performances of music and distribute them to songwriters and publishers. You will need to apply to one or more PROs and pay the associated fees to legally play music in your business.
Can you play your own music in public?
Under The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, permission is needed from the relevant copyright holders – those people who create music – in order to play or perform music in public.
What famous songs are copyright free?
Famous copyright-free songs are typically old classics in the public domain, like "Happy Birthday," "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "Amazing Grace," and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," whose copyrights have expired, alongside modern royalty-free tracks available on platforms like YouTube Audio Library or PremiumBeat, offering creative freedom for content creators.
Do clubs need permission to play music?
Whether a song is performed in a public or private club, it is still considered a “public performance” of the work under U.S. copyright law, and is subject to copyright control and licensing. A common misconception is that clubs where only live music is performed do not need to obtain public performance licenses.
What is the 30/30/30 rule for restaurants?
The 30/30/30/10 rule is a common restaurant budgeting guideline that allocates revenue: 30% for Cost of Goods Sold (food/beverage), 30% for Labor, 30% for Overhead, and 10% for Profit, aiming for a sustainable business model by controlling major expenses (Prime Costs: Food + Labor). While a useful starting point, some experts view it as outdated, emphasizing tracking prime costs weekly for real-time management over rigid adherence to the percentages.
What license do you need to play music in public?
If you want to play recorded music in public (for example, to staff or customers at your business premises), you'll need a licence from PPL PRS.
Who is exempt from music licensing?
Two types of music users are exempt, under different standards: a food service or drinking establishment (defined as "a restaurant, inn, bar, tavern, or any other similar place of business in which the public or patrons assemble for the primary purpose of being served food or drink, in which the majority of the gross ...
Do bars need a license to play music?
Restaurants and bars are liable if musicians play a cover song that you have not paid a live music license to use. If a live band or musician only plays original music, a license may not be needed. Unfortunately, PROs often don't mention that you need to be licensed with ASCAP, BMI, GMR, and SESAC at the same time.
Can I play Spotify at my bar?
As laid out in our Terms and Conditions, Spotify is only for personal, non-commercial use. This means you can't broadcast or play Spotify publicly from a business, such as bars, restaurants, schools, stores, salons, dance studios, radio stations, etc.
How many streams do you need to make $1000 on Spotify?
To make $1,000 on Spotify, you generally need 200,000 to 333,000 streams, as Spotify pays roughly $0.003 to $0.005 per stream, but this varies greatly due to listener location, subscription type (free vs. premium), and your deal with labels or distributors. Factors like listener country (e.g., US streams pay more than Turkey), listener subscription status, and your distribution agreement significantly impact the final payout, with a track needing at least 1,000 streams in 12 months to earn royalties.
Can I show Netflix in my pub?
Can pubs use streaming services like Now TV, Netflix and more? Hospitality venues need a TV Licence to watch all TV channels, pay TV services like Sky, and live TV on streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Netflix. As well as everything on BBC iPlayer.
What is the 30 second rule on YouTube?
The "30-second rule on YouTube" refers to two key concepts: first, the crucial first 30 seconds of a video to hook viewers, as YouTube counts a view after this mark; and second, a content editing guideline where something engaging, like a visual change or new topic, should happen at least every 30 seconds to maintain audience interest and prevent them from clicking away. It's about grabbing attention immediately and continuously refreshing the content to match short attention spans, ensuring viewers stay engaged long enough for a meaningful view and to improve watch time, a key factor for the YouTube algorithm.
How much do 1000 views pay on YouTube?
YouTube doesn't pay a fixed rate per view, but for 1,000 views, creators typically earn anywhere from $1 to $25 (or $0.001 to $0.025 per view) from ad revenue, with higher rates common in lucrative niches like finance, notes Metricool and Reddit. Earnings depend heavily on audience location, content topic (niche), viewer demographics, and whether ads are skipped, with longer videos and higher CPM (cost per mille) niches generally paying more.
What is the 4 bar rule in music?
The "4-bar rule" in music refers to the common practice of organizing music into self-contained, four-measure (bar) phrases, serving as fundamental building blocks for larger sections like verses or choruses, ensuring musical coherence and listener engagement by introducing changes or "payoffs" every four bars. It's a guideline for structure, not a strict law, particularly prevalent in pop, rock, and rap, often creating "question/answer" musical ideas within that span, making songs feel natural and catchy.
How to legally play music in a restaurant?
Playing music in your restaurant is considered a public performance. You'll either need licenses from the major PROs to play each song, or you can subscribe to a commercial streaming service like Pandora CloudCover.
Can you play YouTube at a bar?
Any time you play music in a bar, restaurant, gym, or commercial environment, it counts as a public performance. That requires specific commercial licensing. YouTube is the same. YouTube's music rights only cover personal viewing.