UAE Café & Restaurant Music Licensing 2026 — Fees, Spotify, YouTube, DJs, Background Music, EMRA & What F&B Businesses Need to Know
Last updated: August 2026
If you own or operate a café, restaurant, coffee shop, bakery, food hall or other F&B business in the UAE, you may have wondered:
Do I actually need a music licence to play background music?
The short answer is:
If your café or restaurant uses music commercially, you should check the applicable UAE music licensing requirements.
The UAE has introduced a new Collective Management in Music Guide, with fees for covered commercial music uses beginning 1 December 2026.
The framework specifically includes cafés and restaurants.
The amount you may pay depends on factors such as:
Seating capacity
Whether you use recorded background music
Whether you have DJs or entertainment
The nature of the music use
The applicable tariff category
This guide explains the issue in simple language.
Quick Answer for Café & Restaurant Owners
If your UAE café or restaurant plays music for customers, do not assume that you are exempt simply because the music is only background music.
The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has introduced a formal framework for collective management of music rights.
The Ministry says fees under the new framework begin at the start of December 2026.
For cafés and restaurants, the published tariff structure distinguishes between:
Recorded background music
Starting at:
AED 1,500 per year
for establishments with up to 50 seats.
DJ or similar entertainment
Starting at:
AED 2,500 per year
for establishments with up to 50 seats.
The fee increases for larger venues.
Why Do Cafés Need to Think About Music Licensing?
A café sells:
Coffee
Food
Desserts
Drinks
Customer experience
Music may simply be playing quietly in the background.
But the fact that music is "background music" does not automatically mean that it falls outside music-rights licensing.
The music is still being communicated to customers in a commercial environment.
The UAE's collective-management framework is designed to provide a structured system for managing relevant copyright and neighbouring rights associated with commercial music use.
What Changed in UAE Music Licensing in 2026?
The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism launched the Collective Management in Music Guide in August 2026.
The Ministry says the Guide establishes fees for music use in categories including:
Cafés
Restaurants
Hotels
Radio stations
Television channels
Shopping malls
Airlines
The Ministry has identified Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA) and Music Nation as the organisations responsible for collecting the fees and managing the relevant rights under the framework.
Collection begins at the start of:
December 2026
This is therefore something UAE F&B businesses should understand before the new collection regime begins.
How Much Does a Café Music Licence Cost?
For recorded background music, the published tariff structure for cafés/restaurants is based on seating capacity.
| Café / Restaurant seating | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 50 seats | AED 1,500 |
| 51–100 seats | AED 2,700 |
| 101–200 seats | AED 4,800 |
| More than 200 seats | AED 4,800 + AED 20 per additional seat |
| Reported maximum | AED 6,000 |
These are annual amounts.
They are not monthly charges.
For example:
AED 1,500 per year ÷ 12 = AED 125 per month equivalent.
That monthly figure is only provided to help a small business understand the annual cost.
What If My Restaurant Has a DJ?
This is important.
A restaurant or café with a DJ or similar entertainment can fall into a higher tariff category.
The published structure is:
| Café / Restaurant seating | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 50 seats | AED 2,500 |
| 51–100 seats | AED 3,500 |
| 101–200 seats | AED 6,500 |
| More than 200 seats | AED 6,500 + AED 20 per additional seat |
| Reported maximum | AED 8,000 |
So there is a clear difference between:
Background music
and
DJ/entertainment use.
A business should describe its actual music use accurately.
Example 1: A 40-Seat Café
Imagine a small café in Dubai with:
40 seats
Recorded background music
No DJ
No live band
No music events
The café falls into the reported first seating category.
Annual tariff:
AED 1,500
Approximate monthly equivalent:
AED 125
Example 2: A 90-Seat Restaurant
Imagine a restaurant with:
90 seats
Recorded background music
No DJ
The applicable reported category is:
AED 2,700 per year
That is approximately:
AED 225 per month equivalent
Again, the business pays according to the annual licence arrangement; this is simply a budgeting calculation.
Example 3: A 150-Seat Restaurant
A 150-seat restaurant using recorded background music falls into the reported 101–200 seat category.
Annual tariff:
AED 4,800
Monthly equivalent:
AED 400
Example 4: A 40-Seat Café With a DJ
Now change the scenario.
The café still has:
40 seats
But it also has:
Regular DJ nights
The reported tariff category becomes:
AED 2,500 per year
instead of AED 1,500.
This is why businesses should accurately identify whether their music is simply background music or part of a broader entertainment offering.
Does a Small Café Need a Licence?
Being small does not automatically mean being exempt.
There is no general rule that says:
"If you have fewer than 50 seats, you don't need a music licence."
Instead, the published tariff provides a fee category for establishments with up to 50 seats.
That is an important distinction.
The first tariff category is not the same thing as an exemption.
What If I Only Play Soft Background Music?
This is one of the most common questions.
Suppose your café plays:
Jazz
Bossa nova
Piano music
Acoustic music
Lounge music
Instrumental music
Chill-out music
at a low volume while customers eat and talk.
That is still a form of background music use.
The fact that the music is quiet or secondary to the food service does not automatically mean that licensing requirements disappear.
EMRA's current music-user application specifically asks commercial users whether they play background music, how many areas use it and the average daily hours.
What If Music Plays Only for a Few Hours a Day?
This is another common misconception.
A business might say:
"We only play music for three hours during dinner."
You should not automatically assume that this means no licence is required.
The current EMRA pre-application actually asks for:
Number of music areas
Average daily hours
Background-music use
Streaming-service use
DJ/event use
Live-performance use
This indicates that how and where music is used is relevant to the licensing assessment.
What If I Have Music in Only One Area?
The same principle applies.
For example, a restaurant might have:
Dining area
Outdoor terrace
Private dining room
Lounge
If music is played in only one of these areas, that should be accurately reflected in the relevant licensing information.
EMRA's application specifically asks users to provide the number of music areas.
Can I Use Spotify in My Café?
This is probably one of the most important questions for small UAE businesses.
Do not assume that Spotify Premium gives your café all the necessary commercial music rights.
A streaming subscription gives you access to a streaming service under its applicable terms.
That is not necessarily the same as obtaining the rights required to use music publicly in a commercial venue.
EMRA's current application specifically asks commercial users whether they play music through streaming services such as:
Spotify
YouTube
SoundCloud
and asks about the number of areas and daily hours in which those services are used.
So:
Having Spotify is not the same question as having the appropriate commercial music rights.
Can I Play YouTube in My Restaurant?
Again:
Don't assume that YouTube access automatically gives your restaurant commercial music rights.
YouTube is a platform containing enormous amounts of music and other content.
The fact that you can play a video does not automatically answer the separate question:
Do I have the necessary rights to use that music commercially in my restaurant?
A business should consider both:
The terms applicable to the platform; and
The UAE music-rights requirements relevant to the particular use.
What About SoundCloud?
The same principle applies.
A business using SoundCloud or another streaming service should not automatically assume that a consumer account is equivalent to a commercial music licence.
EMRA specifically includes SoundCloud among the streaming services it asks commercial music users about.
What If I Play the Radio?
Radio is another source of music, but simply receiving a broadcast does not necessarily answer every question about the rights associated with public/commercial use.
If your café uses radio as its background music source, you should identify the applicable licensing requirements rather than assuming that the radio broadcaster's arrangements automatically cover your business.
What If I Download the Music?
Downloading a song and having permission to use it commercially are two different things.
For example:
"I bought this song."
does not automatically mean:
"I have unlimited commercial public-performance rights."
The source, licence terms and rights involved matter.
What If I Use Royalty-Free Music?
This is another area where businesses can become confused.
"Royalty-free" does not necessarily mean "licence-free."
Royalty-free generally describes a licensing/payment model.
It does not automatically mean:
No copyright
No restrictions
Unlimited commercial use
Unlimited public performance
Every business use is covered
A café should read the actual licence.
Look for terms relating to:
commercial use
public performance
business use
multiple locations
duration
redistribution
broadcasting
third-party rights
What If I Use Music From a Background-Music Provider?
This can be a different situation.
A commercial background-music provider may give your business a direct licence to use a particular catalogue.
The important question becomes:
What rights does that provider actually control and what rights does its licence grant?
A good commercial music licence should clearly explain:
Who provides the music
What catalogue is covered
What rights are granted
Where the music can be used
How long the licence lasts
Whether multiple locations are covered
Whether public/business use is permitted
Whether third-party rights are involved
What About AI-Generated Music?
AI-generated music is becoming increasingly relevant to businesses looking for background music.
But there is an important warning:
AI-generated does not automatically mean copyright-free or licence-free.
There are several separate questions.
For example:
Which AI platform generated the music?
Was commercial use permitted under the relevant plan?
What were the platform's terms?
Who controls the resulting recording?
Are there third-party materials?
What rights does the music provider have?
What rights are being granted to the café?
Does the catalogue fall within any relevant collective-management repertoire?
At present, we have not identified an official UAE Ministry clarification providing a blanket exemption for AI-generated music from the new collective-management fees.
Therefore, a café should not rely on:
"It's AI, so I don't need a licence."
That is not an established UAE rule.
Does Independently Licensed Music Change the Situation?
Potentially, but this is an area where businesses need to be careful.
Suppose a music provider gives your café a direct commercial licence to use its own catalogue.
That licence may be different from a personal streaming subscription.
However, the key question is:
Does the provider control the relevant rights, and exactly what rights does the licence grant?
The existence of a direct commercial licence does not automatically establish that a business has no other licensing obligations under the UAE collective-management framework.
At the time of publication, we have not found an official UAE clarification specifically stating that all independently licensed catalogues are exempt from the new collective-management fees.
This is therefore an area to monitor closely.
What Is EMRA?
EMRA stands for Emirates Music Rights Association.
EMRA is a UAE collective management organisation involved in managing music rights.
Its current website specifically identifies hotels, restaurants, cafés, gyms, stores, broadcasters and venues as music users.
Its licensing application includes F&B among the business categories and asks for the total number of business locations.
What Is Music Nation?
Music Nation is another organisation authorised by the UAE Ministry for collective management of music rights.
The Ministry granted Music Nation its collective music management licence in 2025, authorising it to manage distribution of rights on behalf of music creators and performers.
Under the 2026 framework, the Ministry identifies EMRA and Music Nation as the organisations responsible for collection and management of the relevant rights.
Does My Restaurant Licence Cover My Café Music?
Your ordinary:
Trade licence
Food licence
Restaurant permit
Municipality approval
Food safety approval
should not automatically be assumed to include music-rights licensing.
Music licensing is a separate rights issue.
Think of it as a separate compliance question:
"Do we have the appropriate rights to use this music in our business?"
What If My Restaurant Has Multiple Branches?
This is particularly important for restaurant groups.
Suppose you operate:
1 café
5 cafés
15 restaurants
30 outlets
Do not assume that one music licence automatically covers every location.
EMRA's current application asks businesses for:
Total locations
and gathers information about music usage.
A multi-location business should clarify:
Which locations are covered?
Whether each location requires separate licensing
Whether a group licence is available
Whether the same music catalogue is used at every location
How additional branches are added
How renewals are handled
What If My Café Is Inside a Hotel?
This is where businesses should avoid making assumptions.
A hotel may have:
Hotel-wide music
Lobby music
Restaurant music
Café music
Bar/lounge music
Pool-area music
Event music
Different uses may involve different licensing considerations.
The hotel operator should establish which uses are covered by its arrangements rather than assuming that a restaurant inside the hotel automatically inherits every hotel-level permission.
What If My Restaurant Is Inside a Shopping Mall?
The same principle applies.
A shopping mall may have music in:
Common areas
Corridors
Atriums
Public spaces
while individual restaurants and retailers may operate their own music systems.
Therefore:
Mall music and restaurant music should not automatically be assumed to be the same licensing use.
The business should clarify its own music use and applicable rights.
What If I Have Live Music?
If your restaurant has:
A singer
Acoustic guitarist
Piano player
Band
Live performer
Regular live-music nights
you should identify this separately.
Live music involves different rights and considerations from simply playing recorded background music.
Do not assume that a standard recorded-background-music arrangement automatically covers every live performance.
What If I Have a DJ Once a Month?
Frequency matters to the overall licensing assessment, but a business should not assume that an occasional DJ automatically falls under ordinary background-music pricing.
EMRA's current application specifically asks:
Whether the venue has a DJ
Number of music areas
Average daily hours
DJ frequency
Show timings
Therefore, describe the actual arrangement.
What If We Have a DJ Only on Weekends?
The answer is not simply:
"It's only weekends, so it doesn't count."
The current licensing intake specifically asks about DJ frequency and show timings.
This means weekend-only entertainment should be disclosed accurately rather than treated as ordinary background music.
What If We Have No Music at All?
If your café or restaurant genuinely does not play music, the music-use question is different.
For example, if you have:
No speakers playing music
No radio
No streaming music
No DJ
No live music
No music events
you should not assume that you need a music licence merely because you operate an F&B business.
The issue is music use, not simply holding a restaurant trade licence.
What If Customers Bring Their Own Music?
This is an unusual situation and should not be treated casually.
If customers are simply listening privately through their own headphones, that is fundamentally different from your restaurant providing music through its sound system.
If the business provides music through its own speakers, however, the business should assess its own music use.
What If We Use Our Own Music?
"Own music" can mean several things.
For example:
You wrote and recorded the music yourself.
This may involve rights that you control.
You commissioned a musician to create music.
You need to understand what rights were transferred or licensed.
You purchased music from a provider.
You need to understand the licence.
You generated music using AI.
You need to understand the platform terms and the rights chain.
Therefore:
"It's ours" is not enough.
You should be able to document how you obtained or control the relevant rights.
What Should a Café Owner Do Before December 2026?
The good news is that this does not need to be complicated.
Step 1 — Make a list of every music source
Write down:
Spotify
YouTube
SoundCloud
Radio
Downloaded music
Purchased music
Royalty-free music
Background-music provider
AI-generated music
DJ
Live performers
Step 2 — Record how music is used
For each source, note:
Where it plays
How many areas
Approximate daily hours
Whether it is background music
Whether it is entertainment
Whether DJs are involved
Whether live performances occur
Step 3 — Check your current licences
Find your:
Contracts
Receipts
Subscription terms
Music-provider agreements
Commercial-use licences
Step 4 — Determine your applicable category
For a café or restaurant, seating capacity is an important tariff factor.
Step 5 — Contact the relevant licensing organisation
Confirm the current requirements and applicable tariff.
Step 6 — Keep documentation
Keep evidence of:
Your music source
Your licence
Your payment
Your catalogue
Your business locations
Your licence period
Café Music Licensing Checklist
Before December 2026, a café or restaurant should be able to answer:
Do we play background music?
Where does our music come from?
Do we use Spotify?
Do we use YouTube?
Do we use SoundCloud?
Do we use radio?
Do we use downloaded music?
Do we use royalty-free music?
Do we use a commercial music provider?
Do we use AI-generated music?
How many areas play music?
How many hours per day?
Do we have DJs?
How frequently?
Do we have live music?
How many seats do we have?
How many branches do we operate?
Do we have existing music-rights agreements?
Have we confirmed our licensing position for December 2026?
The Most Common Café Music Licensing Mistakes
1. "We're too small."
Small businesses are not automatically exempt.
2. "It's only background music."
Background music is still commercial music use.
3. "We have Spotify Premium."
A consumer streaming subscription should not automatically be treated as a commercial music licence.
4. "We only play music for a few hours."
Shorter use does not automatically mean no licensing requirement.
5. "We only have a DJ once a month."
Occasional entertainment should still be accurately disclosed.
6. "The mall already pays."
Do not automatically assume the mall's arrangements cover your restaurant.
7. "It's royalty-free."
Check the actual commercial-use licence.
8. "It's AI-generated."
AI-generated does not automatically mean licence-free.
9. "We bought the song."
Buying access to music is not necessarily the same as acquiring commercial public-performance rights.
10. "Our restaurant licence covers everything."
Trade licensing and music rights are separate issues.
The Simple Way to Think About UAE Café Music Licensing
Ask yourself four questions:
1. What music are we playing?
Know the source.
2. Who controls the rights?
Know the provider/rightsholder.
3. What permission do we have?
Read the commercial licence.
4. What does the UAE framework require?
Confirm the applicable licensing arrangement.
That's it.
You do not need to be a copyright lawyer to start understanding your music licensing position.
What Does This Mean for Small UAE Cafés?
For a small café with up to 50 seats using recorded background music, the published tariff is:
AED 1,500 per year
For a small café with DJ/entertainment use:
AED 2,500 per year
The important point is not simply the price.
It is understanding what you are paying for and what rights the arrangement covers.
This becomes particularly important as businesses consider alternatives such as:
Commercial background-music services
Directly licensed music
Royalty-free catalogues
Production music
AI-generated music
AI-assisted music
Where Does VENUORA Fit?
VENUORA is developing a commercial background-music solution for UAE businesses.
The objective is to make the business side of background music simple:
Music catalogue → provenance → commercial licence → business use → documentation
For a café or restaurant, the goal is to provide a clearly documented music experience rather than simply giving the business access to a playlist.
However, VENUORA does not currently claim that using independently controlled or AI-generated VENUORA music automatically exempts a business from EMRA, Music Nation or any other applicable UAE licensing requirement.
That question requires careful analysis of the relevant rights and UAE framework.
Our position is deliberately simple:
A commercial music licence should clearly tell a business what music it can use and what rights it has received.
As the UAE authorities provide further guidance on independently licensed and AI-generated music, this page will be updated.
Café & Restaurant Music Licensing — Frequently Asked Questions
Do cafés need a music licence in UAE?
Cafés using music commercially should determine the applicable music-rights licensing requirements. Cafés are specifically included in the UAE's new Collective Management in Music framework.
Do restaurants need a music licence in UAE?
Restaurants using music commercially should check the applicable licensing requirements. Restaurants are specifically included in the new framework.
Do small cafés need a music licence?
Being small does not automatically create an exemption. The tariff itself contains a category for cafés/restaurants with up to 50 seats.
How much is a café music licence in UAE?
For recorded background music, the published tariff starts at AED 1,500 per year for establishments with up to 50 seats.
How much does a 50-seat café music licence cost?
The reported annual background-music tariff for up to 50 seats is AED 1,500.
How much does a restaurant with 100 seats pay?
A restaurant in the 51–100-seat category has a reported annual background-music tariff of AED 2,700.
How much does a 200-seat restaurant pay?
A restaurant in the 101–200-seat category has a reported annual background-music tariff of AED 4,800.
Does a DJ increase the music licence fee?
Yes. The published café/restaurant tariff has a separate, higher category for DJ or similar entertainment use.
Can I use Spotify in my café?
Do not assume that a normal Spotify subscription gives your café all rights required for commercial public use.
Can I play YouTube in my restaurant?
Access to YouTube does not automatically establish that the business has all necessary commercial music rights.
Can I play royalty-free music?
Possibly, depending on the licence. "Royalty-free" does not automatically mean unrestricted commercial use.
Can I play AI-generated music?
Potentially, depending on the rights and licence terms. AI-generated music should not automatically be treated as licence-free.
Is AI-generated music exempt from UAE music licensing?
No blanket UAE exemption for AI-generated music has been identified in the official guidance reviewed for this page.
What is EMRA?
EMRA is the Emirates Music Rights Association, a UAE collective management organisation involved in music-rights management and licensing.
What is Music Nation?
Music Nation is another UAE-authorised collective management organisation involved in music-rights management and collection/distribution of relevant payments.
When do the new music fees start?
The Ministry says collection begins at the start of December 2026.
Does my restaurant trade licence cover music licensing?
Do not assume so. A trade licence and music-rights licensing are separate matters.
Does a mall music licence cover my restaurant?
Do not automatically assume so. Confirm the licensing position for your own restaurant and music use.
Does a hotel music licence cover my restaurant?
Do not automatically assume so. Hotels and restaurants can involve different uses and licensing considerations.
Do I need a separate licence for every restaurant branch?
Do not assume either way. Multi-location businesses should confirm how their licensing arrangement applies to multiple premises.
Final Answer for Café & Restaurant Owners
If you operate a café or restaurant in the UAE and play music for customers:
Don't ignore music licensing.
The UAE has introduced a formal collective-management framework, and collection of the new fees begins in December 2026.
The simplest way to prepare is:
Identify your music → identify your rights → identify your usage → identify your business category → confirm your applicable licence → keep your documentation.
For a small café with up to 50 seats using recorded background music, the published annual tariff is:
AED 1,500
For a small café with DJ/entertainment use:
AED 2,500
But the most important question is not merely:
"How much is the licence?"
It is:
"What music am I using, what rights do I have, and what does my licence actually permit?"
That is the question every UAE café and restaurant should be asking before December 2026.
Official Sources & Further Reading
UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism — Collective Management in Music Guide
The Ministry's official announcement confirms the new framework, covered sectors, December 2026 commencement and the role of EMRA and Music Nation.
EMRA — Music User Licensing
EMRA's current licensing application includes F&B, restaurants/cafés, gyms, hotels, stores and other commercial categories.
EMRA — Licensing Pre-Application
The current pre-application asks businesses about background music, streaming services, DJs, live music, number of music areas, daily hours and existing music-rights agreements.
UAE Ministry — Copyright & Neighbouring Rights Legislation
The UAE's copyright framework includes Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021 and its implementing regulations.
Related UAE Music Licensing Guides
UAE Music Licensing Guide 2026 — Complete Guide
The complete plain-English overview of UAE music licensing, copyright, neighbouring rights, EMRA, Music Nation and commercial music use.
UAE Music Licensing Fees 2026 — Café, Restaurant, Gym, Hotel & Retail Tariffs
Detailed tariff tables and fee comparisons for UAE businesses.
EMRA & Music Nation UAE — What Businesses Need to Know
A simple explanation of the two organisations involved in collective music-rights management.
Can You Play Spotify, YouTube or AI-Generated Music in a UAE Business?
A practical guide to streaming services, royalty-free music, direct licensing and AI music.
AI-Generated Music & UAE Music Licensing
What UAE businesses should understand about AI-generated music and commercial music rights.
Last reviewed: August 2026
This article is an educational resource and is not legal advice. Businesses should confirm their specific licensing requirements and applicable tariff directly with the relevant authorised organisation before making compliance decisions.
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