How to Play Music Legally Without PRS PPL Fees
Do you own a hair salon and want to play great background music without paying expensive PRS PPL fees? We can help! Here at Background Sounds, we specialise in royalty-free music for salons, giving UK hairdressers a simple, legal, and affordable way to stream high-quality background music in their business. With a wide choice of playlists and regular playlist updates, you can enjoy background music for hair salons that sets the perfect atmosphere, without the cost of a music licence.
What’s more, all paid subscriptions come with a royalty-free music certificate that’s accepted by PRS PPL, giving you peace of mind that you’re playing music legally in your salon.
Royalty-Free Music or Hair Salons: Key Takeaways
- Hair salons in the UK are legally required to hold a PRS PPL Music Licence to play mainstream commercial music
- A salon with 6–10 seats pays £391.55 + VAT per year for a PRS PPL licence. A salon with 11–15 seats pays £488.09 + VAT
- Royalty-free music is a legal alternative way to play music that requires no PRS PPL licence
- Background Sounds costs £150 + VAT per year or £15 +VAT per month. A flat fee regardless of how many seats your salon has.
- The average hair salon switching to Background Sounds saves between £240 and £330 per year.
- A free 7-day trial of Background Sounds is available with no card details required.
Why Music Matters in Your Salon
The music playing in your salon is doing more than filling the silence. It’s shaping how your clients feel from the moment they walk through the door and that feeling directly affects your business. In hair salons, the right music creates a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere that puts clients at ease. Helping to reduce perceived waiting time and reinforcing your brand.
Music also has a measurable impact on staff. Hairdressing is a physically and emotionally demanding job. A well-chosen playlist keeps the energy in the room positive during long shifts, which feeds directly into the quality of the service your clients receive. You can read more about the impact of music on staff productivity here.
The mistake most salon owners make is treating music as an afterthought, putting on whatever’s playing on the radio, or streaming from a personal Spotify account. Both of these create problems. Radio brings adverts and news bulletins that interrupt the atmosphere, and Spotify’s personal licence doesn’t cover commercial use, which puts you on the wrong side of copyright law without realising it.
How Much Does a PRS PPL Music Licence Cost for a Hair Salon?
A PRS PPL Music Licence is calculated by combining two tariffs. PRS and PPL. The cost of each depends on several factors, including the number of seats in your salon.
Here are two examples of costs to give you an idea of how much you can save by switching to our royalty-free music service. For ease, we’ve compared our annual subscription, but you’ll still save if you take a monthly subscription.
How Much Can You Save by Switching to Background Sounds in 2026?
Example 1: Number of Seats 6 – 10
PRS PPL Annual Music Licence Cost £391.55(+vat)
Background Sounds Annual Subscription £150 (+vat) regardless of seat number
Amount saved by switching to Background Sounds = £241.55
Example 2: Number of Seats 11 – 15
PRS PPL Annual Music Licence Cost £488.09(+vat)
Background Sounds Annual Subscription £150 (+vat) regardless of seat number
Amount saved by switching to Background Sounds = £338.09
The Background Sounds annual subscription is a flat £150 + VAT, and it’s the same price no matter how many seats your salon has. We also offer a cancel anytime monthly subscription for the same great service.
Client Feedback…
“My team have become mini DJs as they love mixing the music up to suit the mood in the salon and the weather outside…brilliant service!”
Nikki Froud – Nikki Froud Hairdressing
You can read all about how we worked with Nikki to reduce overheads in her salon here – Hair Salon Customer Case Study
The Best Hair Salon Playlists
With Background Sounds, you’ll have access to an array of fantastic playlists covering a diverse range of genres. Choose from a variety of styles, including mellow, upbeat, and instrumental, to perfectly suit your mood and preferences.
What’s more, we add new music every month and new playlists throughout the year to keep your playlists fresh.
Popular Hair Salon Playlists
Check out some of our most popular playlist picks from our playlist library. We have over 70 playlists for you to choose from, covering over 20 genres. You can listen to music samples here.
We’re trusted by hundreds of UK businesses every day to provide them with high-quality music for their business, so you can be sure you will keep both your customers and staff happy when you switch.
Royalty-Free Music for Hair Salons – How it Works
Joining Background Sounds is quick and easy to do. We offer access to our music streaming service on a subscription basis.
There are two subscription options to choose from. Both provide the same great service and access to playlists.
For help setting up your audio equipment to stream music, head here – How it Works.
- Stream via your PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device
- Access to over 70 playlists (including Christmas)
- Monthly new music
- New playlists added throughout the year
- Certificate of subscription (you may need to send this to PRS PPL)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I legally play royalty-free music in my salon without a PRS PPL licence?
Yes. Because royalty-free music does not use PRS or PPL registered artists, you can legally play it in your salon without purchasing a PRS PPL music licence. You’ll receive a certificate of subscription from us, which you can show if you’re ever asked to prove your music source.
2. What devices can I use to stream Background Sounds in my salon?
You can stream our playlists on almost any device, including laptops, PCs, tablets, and mobile phones. If your salon already has Bluetooth speakers or an AUX setup, you’re good to go.
3. Will my customers notice if I switch to royalty-free music?
Most salons report that customers don’t notice any difference, other than enjoying a more consistent, pleasant atmosphere. Because our tracks are professionally produced and curated for commercial environments, they feel like mainstream background music rather than generic “elevator music.”
4. How often do you add new playlists and music?
We add new music every month and create new playlists throughout the year; we even have Christmas music. With over 70 playlists to pick from, you’ll have plenty of choice.
5. How much can I save by switching to royalty-free salon music?
We would expect you to save at least £240–£ 330per year compared to the cost of a PRS PPL licence (see here). Your savings depend on how many seats you have, but our flat annual fee of £150 (+VAT) is the same for all salon sizes.
Try Before You Buy!
Join hundreds of UK businesses saving money with Background Sounds. Try our service free for 7 days, no card details, no commitment, no hard sell. Click here to get your FREE TRIAL started
Royalty-Free Music for Hair Salons | Helpful Blog Posts
Questions? Email us at support@backgroundsounds.co.uk. We’re always happy to help. You can also find further information about the legal side of playing royalty-free music in your hair salon in the posts below:
- What Music Can I Play Without a Licence (UK)
- Hair Salon Customer Case Study
- Do I Need a Music Licence?
Background Sounds is a specialist provider of royalty-free music. We work with businesses looking to play music without the need to buy a PRS PPL Music Licence. The service is offered via online streaming and can be accessed when you take a subscription. You can find all you need to know on our home page here.
