Can you use Spotify to play music in your business?
If you want to mix business music and personal streaming, here's what you need to know.
No, you can't use Spotify to play music in your business, and the same applies to Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer and all other personal streaming apps. These services are licensed only for private, noncommercial use, so they can't be played in shops, restaurants, gyms, salons, cafés, offices or any other customer-facing space.
To play music in your shared space, you need to use a business-oriented music service. Using a personal account may seem harmless, but it can lead to copyright issues, compliance problems and unexpected (sometimes quite serious) fines. Using a music service built and licensed for business like Soundtrack can help.
This article explains why personal apps aren't permitted, what the law requires and which business-approved streaming platforms you can use instead to create the right atmosphere for your customers.
Why can't you use Spotify to play music in your business?
Spotify's User Agreement is clear about this: the platform is for "personal, non-commercial use." It's perfect for listening at home, in your car or through headphones, but not in places where customers or visitors can hear it as part of your business.
The same applies to all consumer streaming apps, including Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and Deezer. All of their terms prohibit business use, which is why personal accounts don't cover you. This means that you'll need to find a business music streaming service for your store, restaurant, gym, salon or office.
Despite this, music misuse is widespread. A recent Soundtrack survey suggests that most UK businesses still play personal streaming apps (86%). Your business isn't alone, but thankfully the fix is an easy one.
Consumer streaming platforms do not offer the necessary music licensing for shared or commercial spaces. While playing Spotify in your business isn't a criminal offense, it explicitly goes against the company's terms that customers agree to (remember the ones you didn't bother reading when you signed up?). Using a consumer streaming service isn't worth the risk.
To stay protected and ensure artists are paid fairly, businesses need a music platform that's licensed specifically for commercial use.
Enter Soundtrack. The company uses a global direct-licensing model that allows businesses to play music commercially. It's a leading business-licensed music platform, offering more than 125 million songs and thousands of curated playlists, along with professional tools designed for commercial spaces. Even Spotify's own support section points businesses to Soundtrack.
Does Spotify have a business account?
No, Spotify offers no business plan to its customers. Spotify's terms and conditions clearly state that they don't allow anything but personal use of their service, and that extends to their plans. In fact, their own help center links to Soundtrack, the service Spotify points businesses to. Do the right thing: use a music streaming service that's actually licensed for business.
How does business music licensing work in different countries?
Every song on a platform like Spotify is owned by the artists, composers and rights holders who created it, and they deserve to be compensated when their work is listened to. For music played legally in a business setting, this is where performing rights organizations (PROs) and collecting societies come in. Their role is to ensure that creators are paid whenever their music is played in public.
Although the details vary by country, the principle is the same everywhere: playing music in a public place for anything beyond your own personal enjoyment almost always requires the appropriate music license. For example:
United States: Businesses typically need licenses from PROs such as ASCAP, BMI, GMR or SESAC, which together represent millions of works. Learn more about music licensing in the United States.
United Kingdom: Two British PROs (PPL and PRS for Music) work together to offer TheMusicLicence, which is a single license that covers music protected by both organizations.
European Union: Each country has its own collecting societies, such as BumaStemra in the Netherlands, GEMA in Germany and Sacem in France. These organizations oversee licensing, conduct audits and check that businesses are licensed.
In the rest of the world: Local PROs or government-authorized agencies play a similar role, but the requirement remains the same.
What penalties or fines could you face?
There's no single, fixed penalty for this infringement. In the United States, statutory damages range between US$750 and US$30,000 per song. In the United Kingdom, a businesses licensing fees can increase by 50% if they're found playing unlicensed music. Similar stories can be found in most countries, and penalties get steeper in the case of repeated or intentional violations.
While there's no simple answer to what using unlicensed music actually costs, the consequences can vary depending on factors such as:
Where your business is located
The type and size of your venue
How long unlicensed music has been played
Which rights organization steps in
Can your business be audited?
Yes, enforcement bodies and collecting societies do sometimes audit businesses to check for proper licensing. When a PRO discovers a business playing unlicensed music, companies may receive warning letters, be asked to provide proof of licensing or even be required to pay retroactive music royalties that cover months or possibly years of music use.
What is the best alternative for business music streaming?
Soundtrack's music service for business is a global music platform that lets you play commercially-licensed music in your business. With more than 15,000 licensing deals across labels, publishers and performing rights organizations, it ensures that artists are compensated and your business stays licensed.
But beyond that, Soundtrack is also built to manage music smoothly across any space. For instance, intuitive features include:
Remote control from any device
Scheduling and dayparting for automatic music changes throughout the day
Multi-location management for franchises or stores with multiple sites
Explicit lyric filtering to keep your music family-friendly
A massive music catalog that helps you fine-tune your business's sound
A Spotify Import tool that brings your playlists directly into Soundtrack
Five steps to stay compliant when playing music in your business
Now that you know why Spotify can't be used in your business, here are five simple steps to help you stay compliant when turning up the music in your commercial space:
Check your country's licensing requirements with your national performing rights organizations (PROs).
Subscribe to a suitable music provider such as Soundtrack.
Educate your team so staff understand that personal Spotify or Apple Music accounts can't be used at work.
Review your music use regularly to stay compliant, as rules, locations and business music needs evolve.
Keep proof of your music license in case of an inspection or audit.
This approach protects your brand, keeps you legally covered and ensures artists are accurately compensated for their work.
The bottom line: Use only music licensed for business
Music can transform the atmosphere of your business, but not every platform is designed for business use. Consumer streaming services may be convenient, but they're licensed only for personal listening and don't cover playing music in a business setting.
While using them in your business isn't a criminal offense, it does breach their terms and can still lead to copyright or compliance issues.
For a simple, compliant and reliable solution, a business-licensed music service is the way to go. Soundtrack provides a massive music catalog, intuitive tools and dependable coverage, helping you create the right atmosphere for your customers while ensuring artists are properly compensated.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Spotify Premium account in my business?
No, Spotify Premium is for personal use only. Spotify's terms and conditions clearly state that you can only use their service for your own personal enjoyment, not as background music in a business.
What happens if I use Spotify in my restaurant?
Spotify's terms don't give you permission to use their service in a business setting. Performing rights organizations (PROs) may contact you to demand you obtain the proper licenses, which may incur extra fees. Learn more about restaurant music licensing.
What licenses do I need to play music in my business?
It depends on the country that your business is in. Typically, you need public performance licenses through local performance rights organizations (PROs). Alternatively, a business-licensed streaming service handles that for you and includes the license as part of your music subscription.
Do I still need a license if my business is very small?
Yes. While licensing rules differ across countries and business types, the size of your business doesn't mean you can ignore them. If customers or staff can hear the music, it's a public performance and must be licensed for commercial use.
Is there an alternative music platform that I can use for business?
Yes. Soundtrack is a leading business-licensed music platform offering more than 125 million songs, thousands of curated playlists, plus professional tools like Spotify Import designed specifically for commercial spaces.
Is it illegal to play Spotify in a business?
Spotify's terms and conditions clearly state that you can only use their service for non-commercial use. That means you can only use Spotify for your own personal enjoyment, not as background music in a business. Using Spotify (or any other consumer streaming service) in a business can infringe copyright, so don't do it.
Can I play Spotify at work if only the staff can hear it?
No. Spotify only allows "personal, non-commercial use" of their service. It doesn't matter if your customers can't hear the music: playing music in staff areas or after closing time is still a public performance, which Spotify isn't licensed for.
