Compare the best streaming platforms for businesses

How effective your venue's background music is depends on not just what you play, but how you play it. That means choosing the right music streaming service. The platform you choose matters – it should allow for brand consistency, be straightforward to use and scale and add to the customer experience.

This comparison guide is a useful resource for anyone making long-term decisions about onsite music in a business. It leads you through some of the top business music services on the market, analyzing their unique selling points and limitations so you can make an informed choice.

Bear in mind that the apps and platforms featured in this article are for business, rather than private, personal use.

What makes a music streaming platform suitable for businesses?

If you intend to play music in your venue, a consumer streaming service like Spotify is not an option. That's because they aren't covered by the same licenses and their terms and conditions prevent you from playing their music in a public space. On the other hand, in some countries, a commercial streaming platform bundles the necessary music licensing for businesses into a subscription, or can guide you through the process of getting your own licenses.

But it's not just about the legalities of playing music. Your business can benefit massively in several practical ways from using a business streaming app. A dedicated streaming service provides a wide range of features that make it suitable for use in a commercial setting, such as music scheduling and centralized controls for multiple locations.

Another massive advantage of using a business music streaming service is the ability to curate your playlists, aligning them to your brand and venue type. Unlike a personal streaming platform where you have to search for hours for something suitable, a business music service has ready-made playlists for moods, genres and venues. Most also allow you to adapt and build your own playlists.

Comparison criteria: how we evaluated business music streaming services

What should you take into account when choosing a music service for your business? There are a range of B2B music streaming platforms available, so to make it simple, we've broken down the advantages of each one based on the following:

• Licensing coverage and regional compliance handling: does the streaming service also bundle licensing for you? Do you have to organize that yourself, and do they offer guidance for doing so?

• Music catalog size, curation quality and genre depth: more variety means you have a better chance of finding on-brand music and creating a unique soundtrack.

• Ease of use for on-site staff and central teams: the best business music services are easy to use, whether you're front of house or working in operations.

• Multi-location and multi-zone management: these capabilities provide consistency at scale.

• Scheduling, automation and content control: does the service include features where you can schedule music by location and time of day, and can you exclude songs with explicit lyrics?

• Hardware compatibility and integrations: if you already have hardware in your business, like Sonos for business, you need a service that works with your current setup.

• Scalability, support and pricing transparency: the best business music service will ensure smooth scaling, guide you through the process and help you avoid hidden costs.

For an in-depth look at the main criteria when choosing streaming music services for business, check out our article about choosing the right service.

Top streaming platforms for businesses compared

Soundtrack

Soundtrack is a purpose-built music streaming platform with a huge music catalog, useful business streaming features and—if you're based in North America—licensing included.

In the US and Canada, Soundtrack bundles all the necessary licenses for most background music into one subscription. Outside these countries, you'll need to get a public performance license from a performing rights organization (PRO). You can find out how to do this on Soundtrack's licensing pages.

Another draw is Soundtrack's immense music catalog: over 125 million songs and 2,500 playlists. This takes a lot of time out of the decision-making, as there are playlists to suit different moods, venues and even holidays. If you'd rather have more say in what's playing, you can also create your own, or import them from Spotify.

It includes plenty of user-friendly features for business, such as a dashboard to oversee what's playing and where, and the ability to adjust it when necessary. You can schedule the music as you see fit and choose add-ons such as messaging and expert curation.

If you're looking for the best music streaming for business, check out how it works and see if Soundtrack is right for you.

Mood Media

Mood Media is a multimedia company focusing on creating sensory experiences for brands—this includes everything from background music to digital signage, and even scents. Music for commercial settings is one element of its wide offering.

Mood Media has several different plans, all of which include licensed music. According to its website, public performance licenses are included, but it's a good idea to check when signing up.

Businesses opting for the lower-cost package may find their access to Mood Media's library somewhat limited – you'll need to pay more for popular music, personalized playlists and adding messaging.

Mood Media's music for business has a dedicated music player in which you can manage and schedule music from different locations, and it integrates with the rest of its audiovisual services. 

This service is best suited to larger businesses and multi-site operations – if you're a smaller business, you might find more straightforward options elsewhere.

Pandora CloudCover

Pandora CloudCover is a business streaming service from well-known music platform Pandora. It differs from its consumer service, as it includes licensing and specialized business features.

Pandora CloudCover includes all of the licenses you'll need to play music in your business, but there is one major limitation – the service is only available in the United States and Canada.

Like the personal app, Pandora CloudCover is an internet radio for business. It allows you to build custom stations and mixes—excellent for creating an on-brand sound. Many users will be familiar with Pandora, so setting it up and using it should be pretty straightforward.

It offers a few pricing plans which cater to single- and multiple-location businesses, but, like with other business music streaming services, smaller businesses may have limited options when it comes to customization. Pandora CloudCover's more comprehensive plans offer multi-location management and audio messaging.

Rockbot

Rockbot provides audio and visual solutions to businesses, with interactivity as its USP—unlike other services, employees and customers can request music.

In the US, the service includes public performance licenses within the subscription, and the website suggests that Rockbot also works with PROs in Mexico, Canada and New Zealand. It's worth finding out what this means if you intend on using it outside the US.

As well as allowing visitors to request and vote on background tracks, Rockbot has plenty of useful features. It provides scheduling options and automation for different times of day and seasons, and its dashboard allows you to manage music from anywhere.

Rockbot's a good bet for commercial music streaming, but it offers a single flat-rate subscription for all businesses plus enterprise plans. If you fall somewhere between a small business and a large chain with multiple locations, you may have limited options.

SiriusXM

Sirius XM for Business is a well-known brand offering a channel-based internet radio for business with the necessary licensing bundled into the price of the subscription.

The service allows you to build stations with Pandora radio, and it can be added to your Sonos app. It also allows for overhead audio messaging—a useful feature for retail stores.

However, there is a trade-off in flexibility and control. While SiriusXM for Business provides numerous business-related features, playlist curation and on-demand options are more limited than some of its competitors.

Currently, SiriusXM is only available in the US and Canada, so if you're outside those countries, you'll need to use another service. You'll also need to contact them directly for pricing options.

SoundMachine

SoundMachine is a cloud-based music solution that allows businesses to choose between curated channels for their background music.

While it provides licensing for businesses playing background music in the US, Canada and Japan, elsewhere, you'll need to arrange your own public performance license—though SoundMachine offers support with this.

Businesses can combine SoundMachine's stations to create their own sound and can manage it from a simple user interface. It also allows for scheduling and adding in your own messaging.

SoundMachine has several different pricing plans, meaning different-sized businesses have a range of options, but for full playlist customization, you'll need an enterprise plan.

Soundsuit

Soundsuit provides in-store music streaming for business. The platform is available all over the world, and covers the necessary licensing for background music in the US. In other countries, you'll need to contact PROs for public performance licenses.

Its service is relatively flexible, offering ready-made playlists, and the Professional tier plan allows you to search for tracks to create your own. All pricing plans let businesses handle scheduling and multiple zones, but you'll need an enterprise plan for messaging and importing your own playlists.

How to choose the best streaming music service for your business

Whichever streaming service you choose, your business needs come first. To find the best music service for your business, think first of all about your company's size and plans to scale. A large venue with multiple locations requires a more in-depth set-up, and you should be able to control them from a centralized point. If you have a lot of staff, it's essential that the business music streaming service is straightforward to use and easy to learn.

Every business is unique, and your music needs will be, too. If you need background music that fits a certain mood, but you're not interested in curating an entire playlist, a commercial streaming service with limited flexibility will save on costs. For something more personalized, your business will need access to a larger library and the ability to select specific tracks.

It might be tempting to go for the cheapest option—a simple plan at a lower price point is fine if your business has a single location and doesn't intend to expand, but as soon as you open a new venue, the complexity doubles. Consider investing in a service that provides multiple-site management, where you can easily switch plans. Otherwise, you may end up wasting time and money that you could have saved with the cost of a suitable subscription.

Why many growing businesses choose Soundtrack

Soundtrack is a great option for small, growing and established businesses alike. With professional-grade reliability, an extensive catalog and affordable price points, it is a solution that offers quality without needing an entire IT department to run it. Any member of staff can manage and operate it, so your music gets enough attention without becoming an entire project.

Scalability is another factor—you can begin with one location or many, and expand your business music streaming without having to start from scratch. Within the US and Canada, licensing is included. Outside, you'll need to source your own, but Soundtrack's licensing guides make that much easier.

If your brand is looking for the best business music streaming and wants to manage it without administrative and technical headaches, Soundtrack is a great bet. It's practical, scalable and saves on the costs of going it alone. Sign up for a free trial for your business today.