Spotify is not legal for your Irish salon, even with IMRO and PPI licences. Learn the double-pay trap, the true annual cost, and the one compliant fix.
Akash Kumar is a salon owner turned software founder. After years of running a hair and beauty business in the UK — and getting caught out by PPL/PRS licensing letters — he built Sonosfera to solve the problem he lived through firsthand.
No. Spotify's Terms of Service prohibit commercial use in any business, including Irish salons. The confusion comes from business owners thinking a standard IMRO licence makes it legal. Here is what the rule actually means, what financial risk it creates, and the simplest compliant workaround.
Just like in the UK, playing Spotify in a salon violates the platform's core user agreement. You cannot buy a business tier of Spotify. The moment staff or clients hear the music, it becomes a public performance under the Irish Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000.
Information notice: This article is general information based on publicly available sources (linked throughout). It is not legal advice, and it may not reflect your specific circumstances. If you're unsure, contact the relevant licensing body or a qualified adviser.
Accuracy: Last reviewed on 2026-04-07. If you spot an error, email corrections@sonosfera.app.
No. Spotify is not legal for public or commercial use in Ireland. Section 4 of Spotify's End User Agreement explicitly states the service is for personal, non-commercial use only. Playing it in a salon breaches these terms, even if you pay for a Premium account.
This applies globally, but Irish enforcement is specific. When you play music for customers, you are broadcasting copyrighted material. The law requires authorisation from the copyright holders. Spotify only secures rights for private listening in your car or home. They do not hold the rights to let you broadcast that music to paying clients.
Why an IMRO licence doesn't make Spotify legal
An IMRO licence gives you permission from songwriters to play their music, but it does not override Spotify's terms of service. You still lack the legal right to use Spotify's consumer software as your delivery method in a commercial space.
Many Irish salon owners fall into this trap. They pay €10.99 a month for Spotify Premium. Then they get a letter from IMRO and pay for a public performance licence. They assume they are covered. They are not.
You are paying twice and still breaking the rules. IMRO collects royalties for the musical composition. PPI collects royalties for the sound recording. Neither organisation has the authority to rewrite Spotify's software licensing agreement.
The Irish salon double-pay trap
Trying to use Spotify legally in an Irish salon requires paying for the app, an IMRO licence, and a PPI licence, totalling over €350 per year. Despite paying three separate fees, the setup remains a breach of Spotify's terms of service.
If you try to piece together a compliant setup using consumer streaming, the maths look terrible. You pay Spotify. You pay IMRO. You pay PPI.
Feature
Spotify + IMRO/PPI
Sonosfera
Monthly app cost
€10.99
£19.99 (~€23)
Annual IMRO fee
~€150–€250
€0
Annual PPI fee
~€100–€200
€0
Total yearly cost
~€380+
~€276
Legal for business use?
No
Yes
This is why understanding royalty-free vs licensed music matters. When you use a service built specifically for commercial use, the licensing is bundled. You stop paying multiple organisations for the same outcome.
What happens if an IMRO inspector visits your salon?
IMRO inspectors visit Irish businesses without warning to check if music is playing and whether the venue has a valid licence. If caught playing unlicensed music, you can face retrospective fees, civil damages for copyright infringement, and legal costs.
Inspectors document what they hear. They note the size of your premises, the number of treatment chairs, and the source of the music. If they see a staff member's phone plugged into a speaker running Spotify, they will demand proof of your IMRO and PPI licences.
Ignoring their letters does not make them go away. IMRO actively pursues music licensing compliance for Irish salons through the courts. The resulting civil damages vastly exceed the cost of simply doing it right from the start.
What are the legal alternatives to Spotify for Irish businesses?
The legal alternative to Spotify is a direct-licensed commercial music service like Sonosfera. These platforms clear the public performance rights directly with artists, meaning you do not need IMRO or PPI licences to play the music in your salon.
You do not need a complex legal strategy. You need a platform built for commercial spaces. Sonosfera costs £19.99 a month (approximately €23). That flat fee includes all the necessary licensing.
You browse our curated playlists, press play, and never worry about an inspector walking through the door. There are no explicit lyrics. There are no jarring shifts in tempo halfway through a massage. It is background music designed to make your salon feel premium, without the legal anxiety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I play Spotify in my salon if I have a Premium account?
A: No. A Spotify Premium account removes ads and allows offline listening, but it remains restricted to personal, non-commercial use under Section 4 of Spotify's terms of service.
Q: Do I need both IMRO and PPI to play music in Ireland?
A: Usually, yes. IMRO collects royalties for songwriters and publishers, while PPI collects for record labels and performers. If you play commercial radio or CDs, you need both. If you use a direct-licensed service like Sonosfera, you need neither.
Q: What is the fine for playing Spotify in a business in Ireland?
A: There is no fixed fine. Instead, IMRO and PPI can sue your business for civil damages due to copyright infringement. They will also charge you retrospectively for the years you played music without a licence.
Q: Is Apple Music or YouTube Music legal for Irish salons?
A: No. Exactly like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music are consumer streaming platforms. Their terms of service explicitly ban public performance and commercial use in business settings.
About the author
Sonosfera is founded by a salon owner who has handled day-to-day compliance decisions around customer experience, in-store audio, and licensing since 2018. This article is written from that operational perspective and cross-checked against the official sources linked throughout. It is not legal advice.
