Licensed chart music, creator royalty-free libraries, or original music licensed for business play? A plain-English comparison of the three ways to soundtrack a venue - and how to avoid ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR fees.
Choosing music for a cafe, shop or gym looks simple until the first licensing letter arrives. "Royalty-free" gets used to mean very different things, and the wrong choice can leave you paying a performing-rights organisation on top of a subscription you thought already covered you. Here is the honest comparison for a business owner.
The three ways to play music in a business
1. License commercial, chart music
Services built around major-label catalogues let you play songs your customers recognise. That familiarity is the upside. The trade-off is that you are inside the performing-rights system: pricing is usually per location and per month, it scales as you add sites, and depending on the plan you can still deal with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC or GMR considerations. It is the premium option and it fits brands that specifically want hits.
2. Royalty-free libraries made for creators
Libraries aimed at YouTubers and video editors offer huge catalogues at a flat creator price. They are excellent for video soundtracks - but playing music to customers in a physical venue is a different right. Always check whether a library's "royalty-free" terms actually cover public performance in a business, not just video, and whether that clears your PRO obligations. Many do not, which is the trap.
3. Original music licensed for business play
The third route is music written specifically to be played in businesses and licensed for public performance up front - like WeavyAudio. Because the recordings are original and sit outside the PRO system, no ASCAP, BMI, SESAC or GMR royalties are owed on them, and pricing is a flat fee per location. You trade "songs people already know" for predictable cost and no PRO royalties on the music you play.
What it actually costs
The gap between the options is mostly the licence fees, not the music. To see the numbers for your setup, use our free music license cost calculator - it estimates your ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR total and shows it against a flat, PRO-free plan.
The licence questions to ask any provider
- Does this cover public performance in a physical business, not just video or personal use?
- Do I still owe any PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC or GMR) on top of this subscription?
- Is pricing per location, and how does it change as I add sites?
- Can I cancel without a long lock-in?
Our take
If you want recognisable chart music and have the budget, a major-label business-music service is the fit. If you want a single predictable line on the budget and no PRO royalties on your background music, an original, venue-licensed catalogue like WeavyAudio is the simpler path. Either way, read the licence for the words "public performance" before you press play.