Applying for a licence to play music

Do you want to play music in public, for instance in your shop, restaurant or care establishment? Or do you want to use music on the internet? Then you must have permission from the lyricist, composer and music publisher.

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, gyms or indoor playgrounds
• in public areas
• 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:

• videos
• advertising
• podcasts
• games and apps

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:

• Buma/Stemra
• Sena

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 and 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

Rights-included music distribution

You don’t 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.S