1Do you need a music licence?
If customers can hear commercially released music, that is a public performance under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and you need permission. In practice that means TheMusicLicence, the single joint licence PPL and PRS for Music sell together through PPL PRS, because a normal playlist crosses both of their repertoires.
There is no small premises exemption in the UK. The two provisions that came closest, sections 67 and 72(1B)(a) of the Act, were both repealed, the latter by regulation 4(1) of SI 2010/2694. So floor area, seat count and the number of loudspeakers make no difference, and it makes no difference whether the sound comes from a radio, a CD or a streaming account. If it can be heard by customers, it is licensable.
There are also no statutory damages here, as there are in the United States. A rights holder claims damages or an account of profits, with costs and an injunction on top, and PPL PRS can back-date a licence over any period you were playing music without one.
RadioB2B removes the question. Every track is licensed at source through RadioPRO Ltd, a UK collective management organisation, and none of it is in the PRS for Music or PPL repertoire, so no public performance royalty arises on what you play through the service.
2Programming the shop floor
Retail tempo is a merchandising decision, not a taste one. Slower music lengthens dwell time and suits considered purchases, faster music moves people and suits a queue. Build it once and it repeats.
| Period | What works |
|---|---|
| Opening | Low key acoustic around 70 BPM while staff face up the stock and the first browsers arrive. |
| Late morning | Brighter programming near 90 BPM as footfall builds, without pushing anyone. |
| Lunchtime peak | Up to 100 to 110 BPM. Faster tempo keeps a queue moving and reduces perceived wait. |
| Afternoon | Back to 85 to 95 BPM for the browsing period, when dwell time is worth more than throughput. |
| Last hour | Warmer and slower again, which signals the day winding down without announcing it. |
You can try the scheduler on the live console on our home page before signing up for anything.
3Zones: floor, fitting rooms, stockroom
Each independently controlled output is a zone, and each runs its own station and schedule.
- The main floor on the tempo schedule above.
- Fitting rooms quieter and warmer, because that is where the decision happens.
- A window or entrance zone, if your system separates it, kept slightly brighter.
- The stockroom on whatever the team actually wants, out of customer earshot.
4Hardware you already own
There is nothing to buy and nothing to install. The player runs in any browser and casts directly to Sonos, Chromecast and AirPlay. There are iOS and Android apps as well, so staff can change a zone without opening a laptop, and when the internet drops the player keeps going from a cached queue rather than leaving you in silence.
5Promotions and seasonal messages
Record your own audio and schedule it into the rotation. A sale message during the lunchtime peak, a loyalty prompt in the last hour, or a seasonal campaign that runs for a fortnight and then stops on its own.
6What it costs
£129 a year, per year, flat, music included. That covers the full catalog, background music video channels for any screens, the scheduler, your own announcements, staff accounts and the Music Licence Certificate. It does not scale with your square footage or your opening hours, which is the mechanism that makes a PPL PRS bill climb.
For comparison, TheMusicLicence costs £235.50 a year plus VAT for a shop up to 50 square metres playing one radio, and PPL PRS can back-date a licence over any period you were playing music without one. Licence free playlist libraries in the UK sit at about 15 pounds a month plus VAT, and licensed services that still leave you owing PPL PRS run from about 22 to 40 pounds a zone a month. See how the routes compare.
Try it in your own space
Fourteen days free, no card required. Build a day's schedule, cast it to the speakers you already have, and hear how the room changes before you decide anything.
7Questions
Do retail stores need a music license?
Yes, if you play commercially released music where customers can hear it. That is a public performance under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. There is no small premises exemption in the UK. The two provisions that came closest, sections 67 and 72(1B)(a) of the Act, were both repealed, so floor area and loudspeaker counts make no difference.
How much does music licensing cost for a shop?
For comparison, TheMusicLicence costs £235.50 a year plus VAT for a shop up to 50 square metres playing one radio, and PPL PRS can back-date a licence over the period you were playing music without one, and rise with floor area. RadioB2B is a flat £129 a year for a retail store, including the music itself.
Can I schedule different music for busy and quiet periods?
Yes. The dayparting scheduler sets a different station for each part of the day and each day of the week, so the lunchtime peak and the quiet afternoon do not sound the same.
Does it work with the speakers we already have?
Yes. The player runs in any browser and casts to Sonos, Chromecast and AirPlay, so there is nothing to buy or install.
Cost figures are indicative 2026 published minimums and typical market pricing, not quotations. General information, not legal advice. See our Terms of Use and Service Agreement.