Sonosfera Blog
Business Music Guides
Music licensing explained simply. Guides for cafes, salons, retail, hotels, and every venue in between.
Showing 39 guides for Cafes & restaurants
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Music Licensing
What is ASCAP Business Music? A Licensing Guide for US Businesses
What ASCAP is, how it fits with BMI, SESAC and GMR, and how US businesses can cover public-performance music licensing through a commercial background-music service.
Apr 17, 20269 min read
Music Licensing
Background Music in Shops: UK Retail Store Playlist Guide
UK guide to background music in shops and music for retail stores: playlists by shop type, volume, staff fatigue, and licensing checks before public playback.
Apr 16, 20268 min read
Music Licensing
Do Pubs Need a Music Licence in the UK? 2026 Costs & Rules
Do UK pubs need TheMusicLicence? See PPL PRS pub rates for background music, jukeboxes and live music, plus the 8am–11pm entertainment rules.
Apr 16, 20267 min read
Music Licensing
Retail music service UK: Cloud Cover vs Sonosfera
Compare Cloud Cover, Sonosfera and other retail music services for UK shops: music source, PPL PRS checks, catalogue scope and pricing routes.
Apr 16, 20268 min read
Music Licensing
Outdoor Cafe Music Licence UK: The No-Nonsense Guide to Terrace Seating
A plain-English guide to the music licence you need for an outdoor cafe, terrace, or patio in the UK — what TheMusicLicence covers, who needs it, and the royalty-free route that skips it.
Apr 16, 20267 min read
Music Licensing
Pub Background Music: Does It Drive Revenue, and What Does It Actually Cost?
Does pub background music increase bar sales, and what does it cost in the UK? Real PPL PRS figures, live-vs-recorded budgeting, and how beer gardens and pop-up bars license music by the season.
Apr 16, 202613 min read
Music Licensing
How much is a PRS licence for a cafe? UK music licence guide
What a UK cafe music licence really costs in 2026, why a personal Spotify account will not do, and how to schedule the sound by daypart — licensing, real pricing, and the research in one place.
Apr 16, 202612 min read
Music Licensing
Pub, Bar and Nightclub Music Licence UK: PPL PRS Guide
Check UK pub, bar and nightclub music licence basics: PPL PRS, TheMusicLicence, recorded music, DJs, live music, and background-music service choices.
Apr 14, 202610 min read
Music Licensing
No Music Licence in the UK? What Businesses Should Check
Worried about playing music without the right licence? Check when UK cafes, salons, gyms and shops need TheMusicLicence, where royalty-free catalogues fit, and what to verify before choosing Sonosfera or another provider.
Apr 14, 20267 min read
Music Licensing
Music Licence for Business in Vietnam: VCPMC Rules
How music licensing works for cafes, restaurants, and shops in Vietnam — what VCPMC covers, what background-music services do and don't include, and the checks to make before you sign up.
Apr 7, 20267 min read
Business Guides
Sonic Branding for Boutique Hotels: 5-Zone Audio Plan (2026)
A practical UK boutique hotel sonic branding guide: lobby, restaurant, spa, bar, and breakfast music zones, with clear source and licence checks.
Apr 4, 202610 min read
Music Licensing
Do I Need a Music Licence to Play the Radio in My Business?
Playing the radio in a UK business is a public performance, so it usually needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS. Here is what that means and how background-music services compare without relying on stale price figures.
Feb 15, 20268 min read
Business Guides
How to Set Up Background Music for Your Business: The Complete 2026 Guide
Everything a UK business needs to play background music properly in 2026: the kit, the PPL PRS licence question, the right sound for cafes, salons, gyms and clinics, and when to upgrade to custom tracks.
Feb 15, 202611 min read
Cost Comparisons
Spotify for Business Alternatives UK: What to Use Instead
Personal Spotify is not for public business playback. Compare UK background-music alternatives, licence scope, catalogue route and what to verify before switching.
Feb 15, 20268 min read