Music plays a huge role in our lives. Whether you create tunes or love losing yourself listening to your favourite artists, music has a number of benefits that help support our mental and physical health. From helping to reduce blood pressure and heart rate after exercise to improving your mood and bringing people together, music is something everyone can enjoy.
For businesses, music is a great way to make a good first impression and helps put customers at ease by creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere in shops, cafes and restaurants. It can even improve staff motivation and productivity.
However, playing commercial music in a business can be expensive. That’s because businesses that play music require a PRS PPL licence unless the music is royalty-free. So it’s a great alternative for businesses that want the benefits of music but without the expense. But many business owners have never heard of royalty-free music and there are several questions around using it.
This article looks at what royalty-free (licence-free) music is and why it isn’t free. The benefits to artists of selling their music this way, why it’s a good option for businesses and tips on how to find the right provider.
Is Royalty-Free Music Free?
No, the word free refers to ‘free’ of royalty fees, meaning the collection agencies such as PRS PPL (in the UK) are not collecting royalties for the song. It is not free to use.
The artists/ copyright holders still want to be paid when their work is played in public. Whether that’s in a gym, hairdressers, on the radio or in retail premises. How this is done will vary depending on how they sell their music.
For context, if the music is registered with PPL PRS, a music licence is required if businesses want to play the music in public. PPL collects and distributes royalties on behalf of record companies and artists, and PRS does the same for musical compositions and lyrics on behalf of composers, publishers and songwriters.
This ensures the people who created the music are paid whenever their work is played in public.
Royalty-free music isn’t registered with PPL PRS so they don’t collect payments for the artists. But this type of music isn’t free! The artists and composers get paid for the use of their music through a music licensing company rather than each business that plays their music.
Creating royalty-free music gives creators and artists more control over who plays their music and how much they get paid when it is played in public. It can be an easier way for them to be paid for their creativity. Giving them an additional income stream and so can be a popular choice for many artists and composers.
It’s worth noting that royalty-free music goes by many terms (just to confuse things). It can be referred to as PRS PPL-free music, non-PRS PPL music, licence-free music and PRO-free music.
What Are the Benefits of PRS PPL-Free Music for Businesses?
The key benefit to businesses in playing this type of music is the cost. Switching from a music licence to a royalty-free streaming service such as Background Sounds can save you hundreds of pounds. We expect that if you switch to us, you can reduce your outlay by at least 50%. That’s a huge benefit.
Using PRS PPL-free music is also easier to manage. You don’t have to worry about different types of licences for the range of music you want to play. Or whether the cost is going to change if you recruit more staff or move to bigger premises.
Our subscription prices are clear and don’t change as your business grows. You continue to pay £15 (+vat) each month if your restaurant creates more space which means you can serve 38 rather than 30 tables. With a PRS PPL music licence, the extra tables would push you into a higher cost bracket. Which may not make it financially viable to slowly increase the number of tables you have.
A music subscription provides you with good-quality music to help you create a great first impression with your customers. The fact that music is licence-free doesn’t mean you can expect it to be poor quality. As with all types of music, some exceptional artists create royalty-free music and some produce tracks that aren’t as good. There’s a range of quality, but reputable providers will strive to only use the best artists so that their playlists and range of tracks are the best available.
What Type of Business Can Use Licence -Free Music?
Licence-free music is suitable for any type of business that wants to create an atmosphere and cut through silence. Our clients come from many different industries such as gyms, hospitality, retail, office spaces and the beauty sector.
With over 60 expertly curated playlists, we have something for every type of business. From our World Spa collection to Sunshine Beats, Vibrant Lounge and Late Night Electronic, you’ll find a range of tracks that meet your music requirements.
How To Find the Right Subscription for Your Business
When it comes to finding the right music subscription for your business we recommend.
- Listening to the playlists to ensure there’s a variety of music, tempo and styles that suit your business.
- Check the playlists are regularly updated to ensure your music stays fresh.
- Look at the terms of the subscription to make sure it gives you the flexibility you need. Make sure you know the level of commitment you’re taking on. A subscription with little or no notice period is ideal so that you can cancel if your needs change.
- Make sure you will receive a certificate of your royalty-free subscription so you can satisfy the requirements of PRS PPL. If the provider won’t send you this, you could still be at risk of receiving a fine as PRS PPL will likely request evidence of where your music is coming from.
- Check out their customer service and read their reviews and testimonials. If there aren’t any, that should be a red flag.
- A free trial is a must so you can make sure the quality and range of music meet your needs and that the technology is compatible with your system.
Royalty-Free Music with Background Sounds
As one of the UK’s top royalty-free music platforms supplying businesses of all sizes, we’re confident you’ll love our tunes. Our monthly subscription gives you a huge range of playlists with new tracks being added each month. All for just £15 (+vat) a month. There’s no cancellation period so if your requirements change you can cancel any time.
We provide a certificate that meets the requirements of PRS PPL. Giving you peace of mind that you can legally play our music in your business.
We’re confident we’ve got the perfect playlists for your business. But don’t just take our word for it; take our 7-day free trial and listen for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between royalty-free music and commercial music?
Commercial music is typically registered with collection societies such as PRS and PPL, meaning businesses must purchase TheMusicLicence to play it legally in public. By contrast, royalty-free music is not registered with those organisations. Instead of paying ongoing royalties through PRS or PPL, the rights are cleared directly through a royalty-free music provider.
2. Why do some artists choose to create royalty-free music?
Many artists choose royalty-free distribution because it gives them greater control over how their music is licensed and monetised. Instead of relying solely on royalty payments collected by performance rights organisations, they receive payment through direct licensing agreements with music providers.
This model can provide artists with predictable income and access to commercial markets such as retail, hospitality and fitness businesses.
3. How can I check if a royalty-free music provider is legitimate?
A legitimate royalty-free music provider will be happy to confirm in writing that their music is royalty-free (also known as PRS/PPL-free) and supply you with a certificate of subscription. If a provider cannot supply written confirmation, businesses should proceed with caution.
Questions?
We’re always happy to chat with customers, as we appreciate that if you are just discovering royalty-free music, you may have many questions. Please get in touch with us, we can chat about any licensing concerns you have, your tech setup and subscription options. Email support@backgroundsounds.co.uk
Background Sounds is a specialist provider of royalty-free music. We work with small businesses looking to play music without the need to buy a PRS PPL Music Licence. You can access the service via online streaming when you take a subscription. You can find out all you need to know on our home page
