Direct answer: Yes. Every UK aesthetic clinic playing music — in the waiting room, treatment rooms, or staff areas — legally requires a public performance licence. TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS Ltd covers this, starting from approximately £238.33/year + VAT. Or use a directly licensed service like Sonosfera (£19.99/month) and bypass PPL PRS entirely.
Fast facts
- TheMusicLicence for a small clinic starts at approximately £238.33/year + VAT (jointly billed by PPL PRS Ltd).
- PPL PRS inspectors make unannounced visits — they can backdate fines up to 6 years.
- Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube are all prohibited for commercial use under their terms of service.
- Treatment rooms count — music during a procedure is still a public performance under UK copyright law.
- Sonosfera costs £19.99/month — all licensing included, works in any browser, no separate PPL/PRS bill.
You are midway through a laser hair removal session when the receptionist knocks on the treatment room door. Someone is standing in the waiting area asking to see your music licence.
It sounds like a scare tactic. But it happens daily across the UK.
Aesthetic clinics sit in a strange middle ground. You operate a clinical, medical-style environment, but you are still a commercial business. That means the background music playing in your reception and treatment rooms falls under strict copyright laws.
Here is the uncomfortable truth about aesthetic clinic background music. You are probably paying too much for it, or you are breaking the law.
Do I actually need a music licence for my clinic?
Yes. Under UK law, playing music in a commercial space where staff or the public can hear it is classed as a "public performance".
It does not matter if the music is only playing quietly in a single treatment room. It does not matter if you only play it when patients are waiting. If anyone other than you can hear it, you need legal permission from the copyright holders.
This rule applies to everything. Playing CDs, turning on the radio, or streaming playlists from a phone all require a public performance licence. The governing bodies that collect these fees are PPL and PRS for Music, who now operate jointly under TheMusicLicence.
Key takeaway: Playing the radio in your clinic waiting room requires exactly the same legal licensing as streaming a custom playlist.
Why your Spotify subscription does not cover you
Most clinic owners assume their £10.99 monthly Spotify or Apple Music subscription covers them for business use. It does not.
