Playing music in your catering venue: Are you allowed to?

The right music creates the perfect atmosphere, that’s no secret. It’s even scientifically proven that music relaxes and stimulates our brains. It releases dopamine, the chemical responsible for feelings of happiness.

So yes, music is fascinating and highly relevant for your business. After all, customer satisfaction is your top priority. But are you actually allowed to play that summer Spotify playlist or just turn on the radio? The short answer: no, unless you’ve taken care of the proper licenses.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the legal aspects of music use in hospitality venues, and we’ll share some smart tips on how to use music strategically in your establishment. Short on time? You’ll find a FAQ section at the bottom that answers the most common questions. Enjoy reading!

When is music considered a “public performance”?

The moment you play music in a place where customers, visitors, or staff are present, and it’s no longer purely private use, it’s considered a public performance.

That means you must respect several layers of music rights:

• Authors’ rights cover composers and lyricists (copyright).
• Neighboring rights cover performing artists (musicians, singers) and producers, who are also entitled to compensation.

In short: without the proper licenses, you risk inspections, retroactive invoices, or even legal action.

💡 Did you know? Every public performance, live or recorded, falls under the SABAM license, even when the artist performs their own work!
Even if the musician isn’t a SABAM member, the venue still needs a SABAM license to play the music publicly.

Music rights for catering venues: what to keep in mind

If you play music via radio, TV, YouTube, Spotify, or even your own MP3 files, you must pay fees to the organizations that manage these rights.

In Belgium, three main organizations handle this:

• SABAM: for composers and authors (copyright)
• SIMIM: for music producers (neighboring rights)
• PlayRight: for performing artists (neighboring rights)

Via PlayRight, you can combine your SABAM license with neighboring rights. You’ll then pay a fixed annual fee, based on your venue’s size (in square meters), the type of establishment, and your sound system.

⚠️ Important: Paying for Spotify Premium (or any streaming service) only covers your personal listening rights, not the right to play music publicly.

Royalty-free or rights-free music

There are also platforms that offer royalty-free music that you can legally stream or purchase for business use. These tracks are created specifically for commercial environments and don’t fall under traditional copyright rules.

Popular options include Epidemic Sound, Artlist, AudioJungle, and Soundtrack Your Brand (Spotify’s business solution).

You usually pay a fixed monthly fee or per-track fee, with no need to pay additional royalties to SABAM or other rights organizations.

⚠️ Important: Always read the usage terms carefully some tracks are only royalty-free online, not for offline or physical spaces.

Live music

Live performances can create great atmosphere, but they also come with rules. 

If the artist performs covers or someone else’s music, you must notify the relevant rights organizations in advance.

Even when an artist performs only their own work, your venue still needs a SABAM license to play that music publicly.

What kind of music should you play in your venue?

Once you’ve arranged all the necessary licenses, the next step is choosing the right music. Should you go for recognizable hits or background tunes that set the mood?

Our advice: trust your intuition. As a hospitality professional, you know your audience best and can sense what works.

Still, here are a few scientifically backed insights to help you use music strategically, without manipulating your guests, of course:

Tempo

Research shows that the tempo of background music significantly affects how long guests stay and how much they spend.

• Slow-paced music encourages guests to linger up to 40% longer and spend more on food and drinks.
• Fast-paced music, on the other hand, increases the number of different items ordered, like snacks or sauces.

Style & genre

Cultural cues also play a role. In one UK supermarket study, French music boosted French wine sales, while German music increased German wine purchases.

Similarly, playing classical music in a wine shop encouraged customers to choose more expensive bottles, even though they didn’t buy more overall.

Volume

According to researchers at the University of South Florida, higher volume can lead to more impulsive purchases and faster consumption.
However, if it’s too loud, comfort drops and guests tend to leave sooner. It’s a delicate balance — in most cases, moderation wins.

Final thoughts

Music can influence your guests’ mood and behavior more than you might think, but above all, it should match your brand identity.

Whether it’s energetic pop, smooth jazz, or chill lounge beats, the right soundtrack makes all the difference in how people experience your venue.

Sources

Milliman, R. E. (1982). Using background music to affect the behaviour of supermarket shoppers. Journal of Marketing, 46(3), 86–91.

Caldwell, C., & Hibbert, S. (2002). The influence of music tempo on time perception and spending. Psychology & Marketing, 19(3), 125–138.

North, A. C., Hargreaves, D. J., & McKendrick, J. (1999). The influence of in-store music on wine selections. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(2), 271–276.

Yalch, R. F., & Spangenberg, E. R. (1990). Effects of store music on shopping behavior. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 7(2), 55–63.