Music licensing in the Netherlands
Streaming music in your business isn't the same as listening to music at home. When you play music for an audience with a business and commercial purpose, you need different licenses.
Play it right
Soundtrack is built to bring you music thatās legal for your business. In most cases, everything you need is included in your plan. If you charge admission fees, play live music or timing music to exercise classes you may need additional permissions.
Recording rights
Allows you to stream a specific sound recording of a song
Publishing rights
Allows you to stream the original composition
Change the way you play
Soundtrack offers an excellent selection of music because of our direct relationships with publishers, performing rights organizations and record labels. These include Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and more. Our technology accurately tracks your song plays, which ensures that music creators get the right payments from us. Soundtrack Unlimited makes royalty payments about 5 times higher than streaming services for private use.
Music for business
Avoid legal concerns when playing music in your business. Use a suitable music provider (like Soundtrack) and check that you have the correct licenses in place.
Personal music services including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Deezer, are not approved for use in business environments.
Spotify
You canāt broadcast or play Spotify publicly from a business, such as bars, restaurants, schools, stores, salons, dance studios, radio stations, etc. To play in a commercial environment, check out our friends at Soundtrack.
Spotify for public or commercial useYouTube
You may access and use the Service as made available to you, as long as you comply with this Agreement and the law. You may view or listen to Content for your personal, non-commercial use.
YouTube Terms of ServiceDeezer
The use of the Site and Application is only authorized for a personal and private use, therefore any other use, notably in public premises and businesses, is strictly forbidden.
Terms of Use for the Deezer Free ServiceApple
You may use the Services and Content only for personal, noncommercial purposes (except as set forth in the App Store Content section below or as otherwise specified by Apple).
Apple Media Services Terms and ConditionsAmazon Music
You may use the Services only for your personal, non-commercial purposes.
Amazon Music Terms of UseGet licensed
Get your correct business licenses
If you don't have public performance licenses from Buma/Stemra and Sena, please visit their websites.
Start your free Soundtrack trial
Start your 14 day free trial to use our properly licensed business music service immediately. No payment or commitment required.
Music licensing in the Netherlands
Overview When running a business within the Netherlands it is possible that you will need two types of license if you want to play music within your business. Two organizations exist in the Netherlands that handle music licensing - BumaStemra and Sena. BumaStemra ensures that composers, lyricists and publicists are paid when music is used under copyright law, whereas Sena handles neighbouring rights, making sure that artists, sessions musicians and producers are compensated for their creation. History The Copyright Act was introduced in the Netherlands in 1912. The following year Buma, or the Bureau for Music Copyright, was created to license and collect payment for public performance of music. It was formed by two organizations, GeNeCo, the Dutch profession association for composers and the VMN, the Dutch music publishers association. Two decades later, the need to also license the recording and reproduction of music lead to the launch of Stichting Stemra or the Foundation for the Exploitation of Mechanical Reproduction Rights for Authors. Vereniging Buma and Stichting Stemra now act as a singular organization to protect work from over 38,000 music creators. SENA stands for Stichting Exploitatie Naburige Rechten Auteurs en Producenten or the Foundation for the Exploitation of Neighbouring Rights of Authors and Producers. It has been in operation since 1953. When The Neighbouring Rights Act or WNR, Wet op de naburige rechten, was introduced, the Dutch government authorised Sena to claim and distribute royalties for performers and record labels in relation to the act. How to get a license in the Netherlands For companies operating in the Netherlands it is easy to purchase the correct music license. Mijn Licentie NL is available to those in need of a music license, acting as a singular platform to cover all licensing requirements. This was created by SCAN, the Service Centre for Copyright and Neighbouring Rights or Service Centrum Auteurs- en Naburige rechten. It is possible to apply for a license, get a quote and manage current licenses via the website.
Contact info
Buma/Stemra
Mijn Licentie
Sena