Royalty-Free Music vs Licensed Music: What's the Difference?
Direct answer: Licensed music (via TheMusicLicence) lets you play chart hits but costs £238.33–£500+/year depending on premises size. Royalty-free music bypasses PPL PRS entirely — Sonosfera costs £19.99/month (£239.88/year) with no "audible area" calculations and no per-play royalties.
Fast facts
- TheMusicLicence starts from ~£238.33/year + VAT for small businesses (PPL PRS)
- Sonosfera costs £19.99/month, all performance rights included (/pricing)
- Playing one commercial track (e.g. a radio song) triggers TheMusicLicence requirement for the entire year
- Royalty-free does not mean free — it means no per-play royalties; a subscription fee still applies
| Feature | TheMusicLicence (PPL PRS) | Sonosfera (Royalty-Free) |
|---|---|---|
| Famous chart hits | Yes | No |
| Annual cost (small biz) | £238.33–£500+ + VAT | £239.88 (£19.99/mo) |
| Audible area calculations | Yes | No |
| Licence certificate | Yes | Yes |
| Ads or interruptions | Radio has ads | Never |
| Algorithm risk | No | No |
If you are setting up a business, you have a choice to make about your atmosphere.
Do you want to play the exact songs your customers hear on the radio? Or do you want to play music that sets a vibe without the baggage of big record labels?
This is the choice between Licensed Music and Royalty-Free Music.
Here is the breakdown of what they mean, what they cost, and which one is right for you. (If you're wondering whether your current setup is even legal, start with Can I Play Spotify in My Salon?)
Option A: Licensed Music (The "Famous" Stuff)
Definition: Music represented by Collecting Societies (in the UK, that's PPL and PRS). This includes 99% of what you hear on the radio: Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Ed Sheeran, etc.
How it works:
- You pay an annual fee to PPL PRS (TheMusicLicence).
- The money is distributed (in theory) to the millions of artists they represent.
