By Sonosfera Team
If you run a cafe, salon, gym or shop in the United States and you play music for customers, you have almost certainly come across the letters ASCAP — usually in a letter or an invoice. This guide explains what ASCAP actually is, how it fits alongside BMI, SESAC and GMR, why your personal Spotify account does not cover you, and how a commercial background-music service rolls all of this into a single subscription.
Direct answer: ASCAP is one US performing rights organisation, not the whole US business-music licensing system. If your business plays mainstream music publicly, check ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR exposure or use a commercial background-music provider that states which PRO licences it includes. For practical room-fit pages, start with background music for retail, background music for salons, music for cafes, or background music for gyms.
This article is for US small-business owners and managers who play background music in a public-facing space and want to understand what they are legally responsible for — without wading through legal jargon. It is general guidance, not legal advice; for an unusual venue, event or broadcast setup, talk to a music-licensing professional.
What is ASCAP?
ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is a performing rights organisation (PRO). A PRO represents songwriters, composers and music publishers, and it licenses the right to publicly perform the songs they own. When a business plays one of those songs, ASCAP collects a licence fee and passes royalties back to the writers.
The key term is public performance. Under US copyright law, playing recorded music where customers or staff can hear it — over a speaker system, a TV, a phone in a dock, anything beyond a normal family setting — counts as a public performance of the underlying song. That performance right belongs to the songwriter and publisher, and ASCAP is one of the bodies that licenses it on their behalf.
ASCAP only represents part of the music world, though. No single PRO covers every song, which is where the others come in.
ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR: the four US PROs
The United States has four performing rights organisations, and each represents a different roster of writers and publishers:
- ASCAP — the largest, member-owned, representing a very broad catalogue. See ascap.com.
- BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) — the other large PRO, with a catalogue comparable in size to ASCAP's. See bmi.com.
- SESAC — a smaller, invitation-only PRO with a more selective roster.
- GMR (Global Music Rights) — the newest and smallest, representing a focused list of high-profile songwriters.
Because a typical playlist mixes songs from writers affiliated with different PROs, a business that licenses directly would normally need a blanket licence from each one it is exposed to — most commonly ASCAP and BMI, and often SESAC and GMR as well. That is the practical reason "an ASCAP licence" alone is rarely the whole story.
For a recurring venue budget, see our separate guides to BMI music license costs, SESAC license costs and GMR license costs to check the applicable fee and music sources.
What about the recording itself? Sound recordings in the US
People often assume they also owe a separate royalty for the recording (the master). In the US, the rules are different from most of the rest of the world.
For traditional, in-person venues, there is no general public-performance royalty for sound recordings played over a sound system. The federal sound-recording performance right is limited to digital transmissions — internet radio, satellite radio and similar — which is why services like SiriusXM also account to SoundExchange (the body that collects digital sound-recording royalties). For a corner cafe playing music through ceiling speakers, the PRO licences for the songs are the main obligation; there is no equivalent of the UK's separate recording licence for ordinary in-store playback.
This is one of the biggest differences between the US and countries such as the UK, Australia or Germany, where a business pays for both the composition and the recording. If you only operate in the US, it simplifies things considerably.
Why a personal Spotify or Apple Music account doesn't cover you
Consumer streaming subscriptions are licensed for personal listening only. Their terms of service explicitly prohibit commercial or public use. Playing Spotify, Apple Music or a personal YouTube playlist in your business does not give you the public-performance cover ASCAP and the other PROs require — no matter how many subscriptions you pay for.
To play music legally in a US business you generally have two routes:
- License directly with each PRO — contact ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR and pay each a blanket fee. This gives you wide access but means several accounts, several invoices and several renewals.
- Use a commercial background-music service — a provider that has already secured the necessary PRO licences and bundles them into your subscription, so you deal with one company.
For most small businesses, the second route is simpler and often cheaper than negotiating separately.
Commercial background-music services: a current snapshot
The table below summarises how several US background-music providers describe their pricing and their licensing coverage on their own public pages. Check the current amount and exact terms on each provider's site, because plans, exclusions and checkout prices change.
| Provider | Pricing path | Licensing position (as stated by the provider) | What to check before you buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pandora CloudCover | Check current provider pricing | Support says business background-music licensing is included for ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR | Strong mainstream catalogue; less calm/background-first than some rivals |
| Rockbot | Official pricing is quote-led; marketplace pricing can differ | Support says ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR are covered when Rockbot is the sole provider | Confirm a direct quote and contract terms |
| Soundtrack | Public plans exist; confirm the current checkout price | Help docs say US public-performance licences from ASCAP, BMI and GMR are included, with exceptions | Exceptions (admission fees, live music) are material — check them |
| SoundMachine | Check current provider pricing | Pricing page says US/Canada businesses need no additional licence for background music | Good for known tracks; verify which uses are excluded |
| SiriusXM Music for Business | Check current provider pricing | States royalties including ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR and SoundExchange are included | Reseller cancellation terms vary; not a custom-branding product |
| Jukeboxy | Check current provider pricing | FAQ lists USA/Canada licensing coverage for background music | One building/address per subscription; many use-case exclusions |
| Mood Media US | Public pricing page exists; confirm the current figure | Positions its music as licensed/ad-free for Mood-provided music at contracted sites | Licence scope excludes live/DJ/TV/cover-charge uses |
A few patterns are worth noting. Almost every reputable provider explicitly names the PROs it covers — that naming is exactly what you are paying for. Most also carve out exceptions: a background-music licence typically does not cover live performances, DJs, ticketed or cover-charge events, dance or fitness classes with public admission, TV broadcasts, or music you upload yourself. If your business does any of those, read the exclusions carefully or ask the provider directly.
A gym should also use the group-fitness source and permission worksheet to distinguish floor playback, instructor classes and recorded sessions.
Where Sonosfera fits
Sonosfera is a background-music service built specifically for calm, customer-facing spaces — salons, cafes, studios and small retail — rather than for venues that need a vast mainstream chart catalogue. The music is supplied under a commercial licence for in-store background play, with a per-location certificate, so the public-performance question is handled as part of the subscription rather than being your problem to solve.
It is an honest fit if you want a simple, atmosphere-first option with predictable per-location pricing. It is not the right tool if you specifically need to play recognisable hit records by name, run a ticketed live event, or soundtrack a broadcast — those needs point you toward a mainstream provider or a direct conversation with the PROs. You can see country-aware pricing here: view US pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both ASCAP and BMI for my business?
Usually, yes. ASCAP and BMI represent different writers, and most playlists draw on both, so a business that licenses directly typically needs a blanket licence from each — and often SESAC and GMR too. A commercial background-music service bundles these so you do not have to track them individually.
Is ASCAP a government agency?
No. ASCAP is a private, member-owned organisation of songwriters, composers and publishers. It operates under a federal consent decree that governs how it licenses music, but it is not a government body and it does not set copyright law.
How much does an ASCAP business licence cost?
ASCAP sets fees based on factors like business type, size and how music is used, so there is no single flat figure. Check the current rates directly with ASCAP and BMI, or compare the all-in monthly cost of a background-music service that already includes the PRO licences.
Do I owe a separate royalty for the sound recording in the US?
For ordinary in-store playback over speakers, no — the US has no general public-performance royalty for sound recordings in traditional venues. The sound-recording performance right applies to digital transmissions (internet and satellite radio), which is why those services also account to SoundExchange. The PRO licences for the songs remain the main obligation for most physical businesses.
Sources
- ASCAP — official site — ASCAP
- ASCAP — Music Licensing FAQs — ASCAP
- ASCAP — Music Licensing & Music Licenses — ASCAP
- BMI — official site — BMI
- BMI — Music Licensing — BMI
- SESAC — About Music Licensing — SESAC
- Global Music Rights — Obtain a license — GMR
- Does Pandora CloudCover cover my music licensing? — Pandora CloudCover (help centre)
- Pandora CloudCover — cheapest streaming options — Pandora CloudCover
- Does Rockbot cover my music licensing? — Rockbot (support)
- Rockbot editions on AppDirect — AppDirect marketplace
- Rockbot pricing — Rockbot
- Soundtrack — United States licensing — Soundtrack
Next step
If you want a straightforward, licence-included route for calm background music in a US space, review country-aware pricing and compare the alternatives first on the US comparison page or in the US, UK and Australia business-music licensing guide.
