Applying for a licence to play music

When do you need a licence to play music?

If you play music in your establishment, you must apply for a licence. You need a licence to play music:

in catering establishments, such as cafes, (company) restaurants, hotels, gyms, or indoor playgrounds
in public areas
in dance halls
in sales areas, such as shops, shopping centres, passenger transport, exhibitions
in companies, offices, and educational institutions
at events
as background to your website

You also need a licence if you want to use music in productions such as:

videos
advertising
podcasts
games and apps

Check if you need a licence.

Applying for a licence to play music

Do you need a licence? You can apply for a licence from a Combined Management Organisation (CMO) via Mijnlicentie.nl. The following organisations are examples of CMOs:

If musical copyrights have been transferred to Buma-Stemra, they can issue licences that give you permission to play the music. If it involves artists and record producers, based on a neighbouring right, Sena will issue the licences. If you apply for rights from more than one CMO, you can opt for a combined invoice (in Dutch).

Costs of a licence to play music

The cost of licences to play music differ. It depends partly on the sector and also on:

whether it is live music, light music, or background music
the number of persons hearing the music
the floor area of the space in which the music can be heard
how often the music is played

Calculate the cost of your licence.

Rights-included music distribution

You do not need a license to play rights-included music (royalty-free music). You can arrange rights-included music with various commercial suppliers. The supplier is responsible for the music rights. Buma or Sena will check if the music is rights-included.