Royalty-Free Music for Cafes

The UK is a nation of tea and coffee drinkers so it’s no surprise that the number of cafes and coffee shops is on the rise.  Making sure your cafe stands out from all the noise and encourages people to step inside and try your food and drink is key if you want to convert footfall into paying clients.

Background music is a great way of doing this as long as you hit the right notes and play the best tracks for the atmosphere you want to create. 

This blog post looks at why background music in cafes helps to create the best atmosphere and how you can play royalty-free audio tracks that don’t cost the earth

Create the Right Atmosphere

People love to socialise in cafes so creating the right ambience that enables them to do this is important if you want your business to grow. Soft music with a slower beat creates the perfect backdrop for a catchup over a cuppa and cake. This type of music encourages people to slow down and stay longer which is great if they also order more.

Research has shown that pop is one of the best genres of music to help reduce stress and encourage relaxation which is exactly the type of vibe you’re looking for in a cafe. Reggae and Jazz are also good stress relievers. The tempo of reggae uplifts, soothes and creates a mellow vibe that’s great for relaxation.

Slower Jazz tunes can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate and encourage your customers to relax and unwind.

Background Music Options

If you want to play music in your cafe, you need to make sure you do so legally so you’re not at risk of having to pay a hefty fine. Purchasing a PRS PPL music licence can be expensive, particularly if you are looking to expand and have more tables. For example, a cafe with 30 seats in less than 400sqm costs £515.37 plus VAT. That’s a big cost, particularly if you’re just starting out.

The alternative is to play royalty-free music via a supplier that will provide you access to an affordable music library that creates the atmosphere and vibe you want in your cafe, but at a fraction of the cost.

Royalty-Free Music for Cafes

Royalty-free, also known as licence-free music is the legal way to play tracks in your cafe, without the high cost of a PRS PPL licence. Here at Background Sounds, we work with an international music licensing company that partners with artists all over the world to source the highest quality royalty-free music and make sure they get paid for its use.  Their music is heard in over 10,000 stores worldwide.

We have a wide range of soundtracks with playlists including “Cool Relaxed Cafe”, “Laid Back Jazz” and “Coffee Club” which are ideal for cafes wanting to create a soothing and warm atmosphere for their customers to relax and take some time out from their busy day.

All of the tracks we use in our music subscription service are royalty-free. This means the PRS and PPL collection agencies don’t collect royalties for the artists we use. Instead, they get paid via the music licensing agency.

On average we save customers 50 – 80% when compared to the cost of the Music Licence.

How Much Do We Cost?

Access to our royalty-free playlist library is on a subscription basis. You can choose from either a monthly or annual subscription and both provide you with:

• High-quality royalty royalty-free music
• Monthly new music updates
• Access to all new playlists added
• Confirmation of royalty-free subscription if requested
• Customer support team when you need any help

How Does Royalty-Free Music Work?

A web-based streaming platform, the Background Sounds Music Player provides access to our playlist library.  This is where you can browse and select the best choice for your cafe from over 50 different playlist options.

You can access the player via a PC, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet device and stream via your speakers.

Along with great royalty-free music delivered to you as we have over 50 playlists, the library also provides you with a range of other features that will help you select the perfect tracks for your cafe. These are:

Try Before You Buy!

The music you play is important and it has to be right. That’s why we offer every customer a free 7-day trial to listen to our playlists. It’s a great way to explore royalty-free music and make sure it’s a good fit for your business and your tech. 

We’ve made our trial process hassle-free so you don’t have to add your card details and there’s no hard sell from us.

Music for Cafes – Suggested Reading

To find out more about the legal side of playing music in your cafe. Check out these articles…

• What Music Can I Play Without a Licence (UK)
• How to Avoid Paying for a Music Licence
• Do I Need a Music Licence?

This post was last updated 10th March 2025