United States event guide
A one-off event can involve venue permission, public-performance licensing, recorded music, live music, DJs, radio, streaming, or a source-specific catalogue. Use this page to separate ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and Sonosfera questions before the event opens.
Official source check
US organisers should not assume one blanket answer covers every song. Check the venue, the actual repertoire, and the relevant performing-rights organisations before relying on music at a public event.
Get the venue answer in writing, including what music use is already covered and what remains the organiser responsibility.
List each planned source: live performer, DJ, radio, mainstream playlist, Sonosfera catalogue, or silence between sessions.
Keep venue emails, PRO answers, Sonosfera pass records, event dates, and staff instructions together.
Source split
US licensing check
ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC each license music rights connected to their own catalogues and licensee routes.
Sonosfera scope
A Sonosfera pass is only for eligible playback from the Sonosfera catalogue, not mainstream PRO repertoire.
US licensing check
Ask the venue what music use is already licensed, what is excluded, and whether the event organiser must arrange anything separately.
Sonosfera scope
Keep Sonosfera setup separate from venue permissions, alcohol permits, noise rules, and third-party music.
US licensing check
Live music, DJs, recorded music, radio, and streamed tracks can point to different permissions or licence categories.
Sonosfera scope
Use Sonosfera when the room will play Sonosfera catalogue tracks from the approved account or pass setup.
Where Sonosfera fits
Choose this route when a pop-up, market, private showroom, wellness activation, or temporary event needs background music from the Sonosfera catalogue for known dates. If you need chart music, radio, DJs, live performance, or uploaded files, keep that licensing route separate.
Event checklist
The practical risk is not only the licence itself. It is an event team that cannot explain which music source is allowed, who approved it, and where the proof lives.
Record dates, venue, expected audience, whether tickets are sold, and where music will be audible.
Confirm whether the venue already has music permissions and whether they apply to your event format.
Match the source to the route: PRO checks for mainstream repertoire, Sonosfera for Sonosfera catalogue playback.
Give the event lead clear instructions on what can be played and which sources are off limits.
Official links
Common questions
This page is operational guidance, not legal advice. Use official ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC sources for current US licensing details and keep Sonosfera claims limited to Sonosfera catalogue playback.
It depends on the music, venue, and existing permissions. US repertoire can sit across different performing-rights organisations, so check the official routes and venue paperwork instead of assuming one answer covers everything.
No. Sonosfera is only for eligible playback from the Sonosfera catalogue. It does not replace US public-performance licensing for mainstream repertoire, live music, DJs, radio, uploaded files, or third-party playlists.
Sometimes a venue may already have relevant music permissions, but the organiser should confirm scope, dates, exclusions, and whether the event format changes the answer.
Do not treat a personal streaming subscription as event music cover. Use a business music product or the correct public-performance route for what will actually play in the room.
Eligible paid accounts and passes can keep certificate-ready records for Sonosfera catalogue playback. The certificate page explains the format and limits before checkout.
Fixed dates, clear source
Start with venue and official US licensing checks. If the chosen source is Sonosfera catalogue music for a fixed window, compare short-term passes and keep the pass proof with the event file.