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Updated 19 July 2026 · 4 min read

Music licence for cafés and coffee shops: do you need one and what does it cost?

Most cafés play background music — which means TheMusicLicence — but independents are among the most likely to be over-charged. Here’s what’s fair.

If you play radio, streaming or any commercially released music where customers or staff can hear it, your café needs TheMusicLicence — the combined PPL and PRS for Music licence. That’s true even for a small independent with a single speaker behind the counter. The good news: for a typical café the correct figure is modest, and if your bill looks a lot bigger than that, it’s usually a fixable error.

What drives the cost for a café?

  • How you play music — background radio/streaming is the cheapest; live acts, DJ nights or amplified performances cost more.
  • The size of your customer area and how many people it seats.
  • Your opening hours and days.
  • Whether you were licensed before you started playing music (a first-year higher rate can apply).

What does it typically cost?

A small café playing the radio — up to around 30 seats — is often in the region of £400 a year across PPL and PRS combined (ex-VAT); a CD player or jukebox pushes the PRS element higher, and live music higher still. The PRS minimum annual charge is around £133.40. Because the figure depends on your exact setup, check it against the published tariffs rather than assuming.

Where cafés commonly overpay

  • Billed for live entertainment or ‘specially featured’ music when you only play background radio or streaming.
  • A first-year higher rate (standard + 50%) still on the bill after year one.
  • Storeroom, kitchen or staff-only areas counted in the customer-audible area.
  • Never re-assessed after you changed how (or whether) you play music.

If any of that sounds familiar, run the numbers on our calculator or send us your invoice — we’ll check it against the official café/retail tariffs for free, and tell you honestly if it’s already right. No savings, no fee.

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Related guides

TheMusicLicence for restaurant & bar groups: what you should be payingAcross a multi-site estate, the same small tariff error repeated site-by-site is where the real money hides.Music licensing for car dealerships: showrooms, workshops & groupsDealership estates pay for music in showrooms and workshops across every site — a structure that quietly invites overcharges.Music licence for hair and beauty salons: what you need and what to paySalons live on atmosphere — and that means a music licence. Here’s how to make sure you’re paying the right amount, not a penny more.

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and MLC is an independent consultancy — not affiliated with PPL PRS Ltd, PRS for Music or PPL.