By Sonosfera Team
Updated 21 July 2026
Most UK pubs need TheMusicLicence if customers or staff can hear commercially released music. That includes background radio, music in TV or Sky Sports broadcasts, jukeboxes, DJs, karaoke and live bands. The quietness of the music, the size of the pub and whether entry is free do not create a general copyright exception.
Most of the confusion around pub music comes from folding two separate questions into one. The first is copyright: who wrote and recorded the songs, and who must be paid to play them in public. The second is entertainment licensing: whether the premises needs council permission to host the performance at all. Different laws, different bodies, different answers — so this guide keeps them apart from here on.
Why pubs usually need TheMusicLicence
Playing protected music in a pub is a public performance. Two sets of rights are normally involved:
- PRS for Music represents songwriters, composers and music publishers in the underlying composition.
- PPL represents performers and record companies in the sound recording.
Since 2018, pubs have usually dealt with both through TheMusicLicence, administered by PPL PRS. It covers the vast majority of commercially released music, so the usual pub does not buy a separate PRS licence and PPL licence.
The source does not remove the public-performance issue. Paying for a radio, a streaming subscription, a jukebox or a sports package pays for that service; it does not automatically clear the music for public use in a pub.
How much is a music licence for a pub in 2026?
There is no single price, but PPL PRS's own 2026 examples set a realistic floor. Background music starts at 98p a day (about £359.95 a year plus VAT for an audible area up to 400 m²), a jukebox at £1.63 a day, and live music at 14p per attendee. Your actual rate rises with floor area, equipment and events.
PPL PRS publishes these examples for pubs and bars and labels them correct as of January 2026; the figures below were checked on 21 July 2026.
| Music use | PPL PRS published starting point | Example basis |
|---|---|---|
| Background music | 98p per day | Around £359.95 per year + VAT for a pub or bar with an audible area no greater than 400 m² |
| Jukebox | £1.63 per day | £596.31 per year + VAT for a pub or bar with an audible area up to 400 m² |
| Live music | 14p per attendee | £14.21 + VAT for one event with up to 100 people |
These are published examples, not a quote: confirm your exact rate with PPL PRS.
The actual charge can change with the audible floor area, playback device, number and type of jukeboxes, event capacity, number of events, karaoke use, music videos and specially featured entertainment such as DJ nights. PPL PRS asks pubs for those details when calculating the tariff.
The Live Music Act rule: 8am to 11pm and 500 people
For pubs in England and Wales, copyright licensing and regulated-entertainment permission are separate questions. Under the Live Music Act 2012 and the later entertainment-licensing changes, no separate regulated-entertainment permission is normally needed for amplified live music or recorded music when all of these conditions are met:
- The music takes place between 8am and 11pm on the same day.
- The premises is authorised to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises and is open for those sales at the time.
- The audience is no more than 500 people.
Unamplified live music between 8am and 11pm can also take place on any premises without regulated-entertainment permission. Outside those hours or audience limits, or where a licensing authority has imposed conditions following a review, an authorisation may be required. The Live Music Act rule above concerns England and Wales; pubs in Scotland and Northern Ireland should follow their own council and national entertainment-licensing rules.
This deregulation does not grant copyright permission. A qualifying pub may not need an entertainment authorisation for the performance, yet still need TheMusicLicence for the songs and recordings being played.
Which pub music uses need what?
| What the pub plays | Copyright position | Separate point to check |
|---|---|---|
| Radio or a background playlist | TheMusicLicence is usually needed for protected repertoire | The playback service must also permit commercial use |
| TV or Sky Sports | TheMusicLicence is usually needed because programmes, titles, highlights and adverts contain music | TV and commercial-viewing permissions are separate |
| Jukebox | TheMusicLicence is usually needed | The tariff depends on the jukebox type and use |
| DJ set or karaoke | TheMusicLicence is usually needed | Hours, capacity and premises conditions may also matter |
| Live band | TheMusicLicence is usually needed for protected songs | Apply the entertainment rule above separately |
| Personal Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube account | The subscription does not provide business public-performance permission | Consumer terms may prohibit commercial playback |
For any service marketed as royalty-free, the label alone is not proof of scope. A provider's written agreement may cover business public performance of its own catalogue, but it cannot cover music outside the rights it controls; keep the agreement or certificate and make sure staff cannot switch to an outside source.
For the separate question of commercial impact, see the evidence on pub background music and revenue.
How Sonosfera fits a pub
Sonosfera-only playback does not require PPL/PRS because the catalogue is fully AI-generated and rights-controlled. That gives a pub one documented source for controlled background ambience rather than a personal account or improvised playlist.
The boundary is the music actually played. A pub playing any other music—radio, Sky Sports, a jukebox or live bands—still needs TheMusicLicence for that music. Sonosfera also does not replace the pub's premises licence, local noise controls or any required TV or sports-viewing agreement.
For a daytime dining area or quieter bar service, the closest venue route is background music for restaurants and hospitality. Current plans are available through country-aware UK pricing, with wider service comparisons on the UK business music comparison page.
Common pub music-licensing questions
Do I need TheMusicLicence if the music is quiet?
Usually, yes. Volume is not the test. If protected music is audible to customers or staff in the pub, it is generally being played in public.
Do I need separate PRS and PPL licences?
Usually not. TheMusicLicence combines the permissions administered by PRS for Music and PPL into one licence and payment for most businesses.
Does the Live Music Act mean live bands are free of licensing?
It removes the need for separate regulated-entertainment permission in the qualifying circumstances described above. It does not remove copyright licensing for protected songs.
Can I play Spotify in a pub if I pay for Premium?
A paid personal subscription does not grant public-performance rights. The pub would still need the relevant copyright permission, and it should use a music service whose terms allow commercial playback.
Does a Sky Sports subscription cover the music in a broadcast?
The subscription provides access to the broadcast under its own terms. PPL PRS says sports programming can contain music in titles, highlights, featured sequences and adverts, so TheMusicLicence is usually still required for that music.
A four-line music policy prevents accidental breaches
Write down the source permitted for normal service, who can change it, whether TVs or sports broadcasts introduce other music, and which live or DJ events are scheduled. Keep the matching PPL PRS paperwork or direct catalogue agreement with that policy. The result is a music setup staff can actually follow, rather than a licence decision undone by one phone connected behind the bar.
Sources
- PPL PRS — Pubs & Bars Music Licence — published pub rates and music-use guidance; rate examples labelled correct as of January 2026 and checked 21 July 2026
- GOV.UK — Get a licence to play live or recorded music — public-performance copyright requirements and TheMusicLicence
- GOV.UK — Entertainment Licensing — 8am–11pm, alcohol on-licensed premises and audience limit
- House of Commons Library — The Live Music Act 2012 — legislative background and qualifying live-music conditions
