United Arab Emirates
Licensed Background Music for UAE Businesses
From 1 December 2026, playing music in a UAE restaurant, hotel, retail store or gym is a licensing obligation. Two organisations now issue public performance licences — but a business holding both is still missing three of the five commercial music rights. MUSICVYBE covers all five in one fully managed subscription.
Annual licence fees for commercial music use apply from 1 December 2026 under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026 and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s Collective Management in Music Guide.
A new regulatory framework in the UAE
What changed, and why it matters now.
The United Arab Emirates now has two licensed collective management organisations: the Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA), approved April 2025, and Music Nation for Rights Management, approved June 2025. Together they issue public performance licences for the repertoire voluntarily assigned to each.
Businesses named directly in the framework include restaurants, cafés, hotels, shopping malls, fitness centres, gyms, airlines, floating hotels, radio and television broadcasters, and event operators. Licences run for one year and are renewable, with fee brackets scaled by the type and size of the business and by how music is used. Enforcement begins 1 December 2026.
Government entities, educational institutions and non-commercial charitable events are exempt.
The five rights
EMRA and Music Nation address two of them
The two organisations do not divide rights between them. They divide repertoire — each licenses its own assigned catalogue for the same two rights. A venue playing a mixed programme of local and international music may therefore need both licences, and will still be uncovered on the remaining three.
| Right | Managing it yourself | Using MUSICVYBE |
|---|---|---|
| Public performance of composition | Covered, for repertoire assigned to EMRA and/or Music Nation | Covered |
| Public performance of sound recording | Covered, for repertoire assigned to EMRA and/or Music Nation | Covered |
| Reproduction of sound recording | Not covered by either organisation | Covered |
| Recording (master) rights | Not covered by either organisation | Covered |
| Publishing rights | Not covered by either organisation | Covered |
See our full guide to music licensing in the UAE for how the five-rights framework applies across collective rights management bodies and direct licensing.
Explore by sector and emirate
Compliance and curation guidance for every business type.
Music Licensing
The five-rights framework, EMRA, Music Nation and Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026 explained.
Background Music Services
Curated, scheduled and fully licensed programming for every venue type.
Hotels
Multi-zone programming across lobby, dining, pool, spa and corridors.
Restaurants
Dayparted programming that carries service from brunch to late dining.
Cafés
One consistent sound across every site, whoever is on shift.
Retail Stores
Brand-aligned audio across your estate, scheduled centrally.
Shopping Malls
Concourse and atrium programming across large multi-zone footprints.
Gyms & Fitness
Energy matched to floor zones and the class timetable.
Dubai
Background music and licensing guidance for Dubai businesses.
Abu Dhabi
Background music and licensing guidance for Abu Dhabi businesses.
Sharjah
Background music and licensing guidance for Sharjah businesses.
Ras Al Khaimah
Background music and licensing guidance for RAK businesses.
Ajman
Background music and licensing guidance for Ajman businesses.
Fujairah
Background music and licensing guidance for Fujairah businesses.
Experience that travels
MUSICVYBE has programmed music for hospitality, retail and banking groups across Asia-Pacific for more than twenty years, including Jewel Changi Airport, Fairmont Singapore, Swissôtel The Stamford, Pan Pacific Hotels Group and OCBC Bank. In the UAE, we previously provided the music programme for Raffles Dubai.
Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford reduced annual licensing costs by over SGD 43,000 by consolidating onto a single directly licensed subscription. The figures differ by market; the structure of the saving does not.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a music licence to play background music in my UAE business?+
Yes. Under the framework operative from 1 December 2026, businesses playing recorded or live music commercially require licences covering public performance, and separately need reproduction, master and publishing rights secured through the rights holder or a fully licensed provider.
What is the difference between EMRA and Music Nation?+
Both are approved collective management organisations covering public performance rights, but they represent different pools of rights holders by repertoire rather than by rights type. A business playing a mixed local and international playlist may need licences from both.
Does holding an EMRA or Music Nation licence make my business fully compliant?+
Not on its own. EMRA and Music Nation between them address public performance of composition and sound recording only. Reproduction, master and publishing rights are not covered by either organisation.
Is it legal to play Spotify or Apple Music in a UAE business?+
No. Consumer streaming services are licensed for personal, non-commercial use, and their terms of service explicitly prohibit commercial or public playback.
What businesses are covered by the UAE music licensing framework?+
The framework names restaurants, cafés, hotels, shopping malls, fitness centres, gyms, airlines, floating hotels, radio stations, television channels, and concerts and similar events, among others.
How much does a music licence cost in the UAE?+
Fees vary by business type, venue size and manner of use, with higher rates for live music and DJ performances than background recorded music. See our dedicated guide to music licence cost in the UAE.
How does MUSICVYBE achieve full five-rights compliance?+
MUSICVYBE licenses its entire music library directly from rights holders, covering all five commercial rights in a single subscription, so businesses do not need to separately manage EMRA, Music Nation, or reproduction, master and publishing arrangements.
Know your position before December
Send us your venue list and we will map your current arrangements against all five commercial music rights. You keep the mapping regardless of what you decide.