Dr.DIO · Alternative to Custom Channels

An alternative to Custom Channels for one venue

Custom Channels is a US and Canadian background music service with a hardware player, curated channels and playlist import. Dr.DIO Business is a browser based license for one venue.

Custom Channels Core $25 a location a monthAll four US PROs coveredDr.DIO $14.99 a month

Start 14 days free About the venue license

Custom Channels and Dr.DIO side by side

	Custom Channels	Dr.DIO
Price	Core $25, Control $35 a location a month	$14.99 a month per venue or $149 a year
Free plan	Free trial, no card, length not stated	First 14 days free
Music license	US: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR; Canada: SOCAN, ReSound	Direct license from the studio, in no society repertoire
Catalog	Major labels, curated channels	2,298 original tracks, electronic and ambient
Where it plays	Own player, Vibe web player, Sonos, Bluesound, smart TVs	Venue player in the browser, one zone
Extras	Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon playlist import	Own station and hourly schedule
Good fit for	US and Canadian venues wanting popular music	Venues that want calm electronic music

When Custom Channels is the better choice

Custom Channels covers all four US PROs and, in Canada, SOCAN and ReSound. You can import playlists from Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon, and play on Sonos, Bluesound and smart TVs. If you want popular songs and hardware choices, it offers more than Dr.DIO.

Extra zones cost $15 a month, which suits a venue with several rooms; Dr.DIO is one zone per venue.

When Dr.DIO fits better

Dr.DIO Business costs $14.99 a month, less than the Custom Channels Core plan, and its music is licensed directly by the studio. It has no label hits, so it suits venues where the music sits quietly in the background.

No Dr.DIO track is registered with any collecting society, and the license for Dr.DIO music comes from the studio directly. In some countries a society may presume all music is in its repertoire (GEMA in Germany is one example), and the venue may need to show it plays only non managed music. Radio, TV or live music in the same venue still need their own licenses.

How to try Dr.DIO

Listen to the free radio stations on drdio.studio to hear the catalog
Sign in with Google or Apple and choose Business for your venue
Use the first 14 days free with the venue player in the browser
Set your own station and hourly schedule, and keep the venue certificate

Checked in October 2026

The facts about Custom Channels on this page come from its own website, its terms and public sources as they stood in October 2026. Prices and terms change, so check the current ones on the Custom Channels site before you decide.

Picked from the catalogue

Tracksfor it

All tracks

Slow Sunrise

Downtempo bass at first coffee. Your eyes follow distance on the horizon

102 bpmF minor3:34

Storm Forest

You lean into the stormy forest before dawn. Deep house bass under a whisper of keys

97 bpmG minor3:18

Dusty Summer

A low pulse in dusty summer air. Deep techno you lean into and follow

125 bpmD minor4:19

Silent Path

Glass light on a silent urban path. You hold the first cup over downtempo piano

104 bpmF minor3:58

Far Glow

Ambient waits beside you, never in front. A glass piano and a slow far glow

97 bpmA major3:21

Departure Ramp

Bass under your feet on a molten neon ramp. Your body follows the departure into air

102 bpmEb minor3:17

Hand Drums

Downtempo warmth you sway into. Bass and hand percussion in dusty air

100 bpmD minor3:19

Telescope

You hold your gaze on distant starlight. A piano behind frosted telescope glass

88 bpmC minor4:31

Ashen Fire

You lean toward a fire that gives no heat. Downtempo guitar, a piano cold as night

97 bpmBb minor3:04

Vapor Candle

A candle of guitar over downtempo vapor. Your shoulders sway before an alien dawn

98 bpmF minor3:30

Cool Dust

A guitar in cool glass distance, air and dust. You sway without leaving the room

100 bpmD minor3:07

Glimmer Hush

Your lungs hold in a glimmering deep hush. Downtempo bass in the water

98 bpmBb minor3:13

Questions

Is there an alternative to Custom Channels?

Dr.DIO Business is $14.99 a month or $149 a year per venue, first 14 days free. Custom Channels Core is $25 a location a month.

What does Custom Channels cost?

Core is $25 per location per month, Control $35; annual billing saves 10%; extra zones are $15 a month.

Is ASCAP and BMI included with Custom Channels?

Its FAQ says US businesses are covered for ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR, and Canadian businesses for SOCAN and ReSound.

Is there a business music service in Canada with SOCAN included?

Custom Channels covers SOCAN and ReSound. Dr.DIO music is not registered with SOCAN or any society; in Canada the fee for recordings goes through Re:Sound, so ask Re:Sound how it applies to your venue.

Does Dr.DIO need other licenses?

Not for Dr.DIO music. In some countries, for example Germany with GEMA, the society may presume all music is managed, so the venue may need to show it plays only non managed music. Any other music source still needs its own license.