Playing music in your store, café, office, or even in your promotional videos can create a more welcoming and engaging experience for customers and visitors. But before you hit play, it's important to understand how music licensing works — and what your business needs to stay compliant.
If you’re playing music in a space where people gather — even in the background — it’s likely considered a public performance under Canadian copyright law. That means you’ll need to pay a licensing fee to use it legally.
This applies whether you're:
Even music streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music are licensed for personal use, not business settings.
Copyright protection period
Copyright lasts for the lifetime of the artist, plus 70 years. After that, the music becomes part of the public domain and can be used freely.
So if you’re using older classical music or vintage recordings, check their copyright status first. You may not need a license at all!
In Canada, music licensing is handled by two key organizations:
SOCAN: Represents songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
Re:Sound: Represents performing artists and record labels.
To make things simpler, these two organizations have joined forces to create Entandem — a one-stop platform where businesses can apply for and manage music licenses.
The cost of a music license depends on:
SOCAN and Re:Sound provide online calculators to help estimate your fees:
If you receive an invoice from either organization, be sure to double-check that your business information and usage details are accurate.
Playing music in your business helps set the tone and enhances customer experience, but it comes with responsibilities. With the right license, you’re not just staying legal — you’re supporting the artists who make the music you (and your customers) love.