Background Music for Bars, Pubs and Lounges

The WeavyAudio license covers background music from our catalog at your registered location. Live bands, DJs spinning their own music, karaoke and sports on the TVs are separate uses, licensed separately: typically through ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR for the songs, and through a commercial subscription from your TV provider for the broadcasts. ASCAP's position is that the venue, not the band, obtains the license for live music. Our guide to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR fees for restaurants and bars explains how those fees are calculated.

On regular nights, without events, you play an original catalog with a license certificate for your venue, and there are no PRO royalties due on WeavyAudio music. Many bars keep a PRO license for live-music nights and use a PRO-free catalog for everything else.

Bar music can run louder than restaurant music, but guests should still hear each other at the table; once everyone starts shouting, the room gets tiring fast. Watch your staff's exposure too: NIOSH recommends keeping workers below 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour shift, so keep the music well under that on busy nights.

On a patio or with the windows open, think about the neighbors. Noise ordinances and quiet hours are set locally, and some permits add their own conditions for outdoor areas. Point the speakers at your guests, not the street. Our volume playbook has a simple setup routine.