Short answer: Epidemic Sound Business costs £55 a month or £300 a year in GB, and US$75 a month or US$360 a year in the US, checked 6 October 2026. Business Plus costs £960 a year in GB or US$1,200 a year in the US, advertised as from US$100/month billed annually. These are content/production subscriptions. Music for a physical venue is a separate partner-delivered in-store product with no public UK price. Source: Epidemic pricing page.
Sonosfera at a glance
Sonosfera is for salons, cafés, shops, gyms and studios buying original background atmosphere for the room. UK pricing is £14.99 a month per zone, or £149.90 a year on the annual plan (GB pricing page, checked 6 October 2026). No PPL PRS licence needed for Sonosfera music under an active plan: your subscription is your licence for Sonosfera's own catalogue, while radio, Spotify or live music you add still need their own licence. It does not supply named chart hits or cover outside music. Compare the UK venue plans or try Sonosfera.
A salon that posts promotional videos and plays music during treatments has two separate jobs. Start by naming each one. Check both uses in the supplier's terms. Sonosfera's Terms §2 allow recording social content at your venue with its music playing, livestreaming from the venue, and featuring its music in your business's own ads and promotions. Downloading, copying or extracting tracks from the service is prohibited.
Three Epidemic buying routes to keep separate
| Route | What the product covers | Verified price information on 6 October 2026 | What the UK venue should do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business | Music for business content and production | GB: £55/month or £300/year. US: US$75/month or US$360/year | Check the current offer, permitted content and channel scope |
| Business Plus | A further business-content offer | GB: £960/year. US: US$1,200/year, advertised as from US$100/month billed annually | Confirm currency, billing commitment and the applicable terms; not a UK in-store quote |
| In-store music | A separate partner-delivered route for music in physical spaces | No public UK venue price; request a quote | Its page says public performance rights are included; get written UK location/use scope |
| Sonosfera venue playback | Original background music, scheduling and independent zones | £14.99 a month per zone | Audition the catalogue, register the location and check any outside music |
We make Sonosfera. These rows compare uses and billing bases, not customer outcomes.
The Epidemic Business page and in-store music page are separate sources. The in-store page says its partner-delivered music includes public performance rights. Ask for that scope in writing for your UK venue, including equipment and location limits. No public UK venue price is shown, so request a quote before comparing it with Sonosfera.
The GB and US prices are regional offers, not currency conversions. The US Plus amount is billed annually, so it is not a month-to-month price. Your displayed currency may differ by location; choose the relevant region and check the current total before buying.
Build two lines on the purchase order
Suppose you run a barber shop and post a short promotional video each week. Put the room and the video on separate lines of the buying brief. They may end up with the same supplier, different suppliers or separate plans; the names of the products are not enough to decide.
| Buying brief line | Information to supply | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Music heard inside the shop | Country, address, opening hours, independent listening areas and any classes | Venue playback scope, catalogue, plan/location record and any additional licence responsibility |
| Music used in promotional content | Who makes it, where it is published and whether it is paid advertising | The relevant content plan, permitted uses/channels and publication terms |
| Music from other sources | Radio, personal streaming, live performer or instructor playlist | A separate rights assessment for each source and use |
This avoids a misleading comparison between a creator subscription and a venue quote. Compare equivalent jobs first. Only then total the cost of the arrangement your business actually needs.
For Sonosfera, keep the own-catalogue and plan-location boundary described above. The current Terms include instructor-led Pilates, yoga and fitness classes using Sonosfera music. Radio, Spotify, live music and other music added to the venue need their own licence. Keep the certificate and active-plan record with the location details.
For Sonosfera content use, follow Terms §2 as described above. You may feature its music in your business's own promotions, but you cannot download or extract tracks to assemble a separate production soundtrack. For other suppliers, check their written content and channel terms.
For a practical all-source audit, use the UK café licence guide, adapting the rooms and events to your own venue.
Audition the room before choosing its supplier
The room still needs a listening test after the contract category is clear. During an ordinary shift, check the mood from a guest's seat and ask the shift lead to change it. Sonosfera offers schedules and phone control; an independent zone is a separate stream. Count genuinely separate music areas when comparing plans.
Use the salon, retail or gym product page to start with the nearest use case. If specific chart recordings are essential, Sonosfera's original catalogue is the wrong fit. Look for a commercial catalogue that supplies the music you need and obtain its UK rights scope.
Before paying, write down the invoice recipient for the room plan and the content plan. Name the person who checks the rights when either use changes. That is more useful than a blanket note saying “business music subscription”.
For fitness venues, the Epidemic gym comparison covers the in-store buying question in that setting.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Epidemic Sound Business per month?
On 6 October 2026, Business was £55 a month or £300 a year in GB, and US$75 a month or US$360 a year in the US. Business Plus was £960 a year in GB or US$1,200 a year in the US, advertised as from US$100/month billed annually. These content/production prices are regional offers, not exchange-rate conversions; the partner-delivered in-store product is quoted separately and has no public UK price. Source: Epidemic pricing page.
Can I use Epidemic for music in a physical venue?
Yes. Its in-store page says the separate partner-delivered music includes public performance rights. Request the UK proposal and written confirmation of the country, catalogue, equipment and location scope. Do not assume a content-production plan covers the same use.
Should I choose Sonosfera instead?
Consider Sonosfera for original background atmosphere in your venue. No PPL PRS licence needed for Sonosfera music under an active plan: your subscription is your licence for Sonosfera's own catalogue, while radio, Spotify or live music you add still need their own licence. Its Terms also allow venue social content, livestreams and its music in your own business ads and promotions, while prohibiting downloads or extraction. If you need named chart hits in the room, shortlist a mainstream commercial service instead.
What should I ask before signing an in-store contract?
Ask for the total payable including tax, billing commitment, cancellation process, any hardware cost, independent-zone definition and written UK catalogue/use scope. Confirm any offline-playback requirement rather than assuming it exists. Keep content-production permissions on a separate buying line.
Can I use one budget for both jobs?
You can manage the spending together, but keep the rights, plan and price for each use separate. The UK comparison hub, business music services guide and Spotify alternatives guide can help with the venue line of that decision.
Check Sonosfera's live UK venue price and try its background catalogue. Ask Epidemic or its in-store partner for the equivalent written offer before comparing costs.
Sources
- Epidemic Sound pricing, GB and US offers checked 6 October 2026
- Epidemic Sound Business, checked 6 October 2026
- Epidemic Sound in-store music, checked 6 October 2026
- Sonosfera Terms, updated 5 October 2026
