Business tips

Press play on music that’s licensed for business use.

August 6, 2019

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Before you drop the beat in your business, tune in to the regulations that govern music licensing.

Even if you have a Spotify premium account, have legally purchased music through Amazon or Google Play, or you play a CD with songs from your own collection—playing them in your place of business is illegal.¹

If you use music in any way to support your business, you need a SOCAN licence.

What’s SOCAN?

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers is a not-for-profit organization that represents the Canadian performing rights of music creators and publishers from Canada and its foreign affiliates.²

Using a licensing system, SOCAN allows businesses like yours to play music legally and ethically by collecting licensing fees and distributing the monies to the music’s creators.

Get answers to all of your SOCAN questions here.³

What if I just turn on the radio?

The same SOCAN rules apply. When you turn on the tunes in your business, you’re playing music that creates an experience for your customers. The intention is to encourage them to spend money on your goods or services, and when they do, your business benefits.

Did you know? 14% of customers will spend more when music they appreciate is played⁴ and choosing the right music increases customer loyalty (read our article on this topic here).⁵

Since the music you play is owned by someone else (songwriters, performers, record labels, etc.), they’re owed a piece of the pie.⁶ Think of it this way: you wouldn’t want someone to benefit financially from selling the products or services you work hard to produce, and neither do artists and their record labels.

Support the artists with Stingray Music.

Don’t let the legality of licensed music dissuade you from entertaining your customers with tunes they can shop to. Get music that’s licensed through SOCAN and ready to play from Stringray Music:

Over 40 channels developed by expert music programmers.
Non-stop, commercial-free music.
Free mobile app and web player with thousands of additional channels.
Best of all, all music rights and royalties are included.

Bring the music you love from your earbuds into your business ethically and legally.

From one entrepreneur to another, you can show emerging and established musical artists alike your support for their work by playing their music in your business using the appropriate SOCAN licence.

Sources:

^{1, 5} (Author unknown) (Date unknown). Can I Play Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, or Other Music Services in My Business? [Online article]. Retrieved from https://cloudcovermusic.com/music-for-business/spotify-other-services/

² (Author unknown) (2012, Sep 13) Do you play music in your business? You may need a SOCAN licence. [Online article]. Retrieved from https://canadabusiness.ca/blog/do-you-play-music-in-your-business-you-may-need-a-socan-licence-1/

³ (Author unknown) (Date unknown). SOCAN FAQ. [Online resource]. Retrieved from https://www.socan.com/faqs/

⁴ (Galic, D.) (2016, June 3) How to Choose the Right Music for Your Retail Store. [Online article]. Retrieved from https://www.humanity.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-music-for-your-retail-store.html

⁶ (Author unknown) (Date unknown). Background music for waiting rooms. [Online article]. Retrieved from https://legismusic.com/background-music-for-waiting-rooms/

Before you drop the beat in your business, tune in to the regulations that govern music licensing.

What’s SOCAN?

What if I just turn on the radio?

Support the artists with Stingray Music.

Bring the music you love from your earbuds into your business ethically and legally.

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