An Argentine business playing recorded music deals with SADAIC for authors and composers and with CAPIF SGC for producers and performers. A 2025 reform moved the recordings side from a legal licence to licences based on mandates.
| Who | What for | |
|---|---|---|
| SADAIC | Sociedad Argentina de Autores y Compositores de Música | Authors' and composers' rights |
| CAPIF SGC | CAPIF SGC, Cámara Argentina de la Música Grabada | Producers and performers it represents |
| AADI | Asociación Argentina de Intérpretes | Performers; role after the 2025 reform not verified |
SADAIC represents authors and composers; its website was under maintenance during research, so its tariffs were not verified. CAPIF SGC was approved as a collective management society by DNDA Disposición 1/2026 and licenses producers and performers who gave it an express mandate, plus reciprocal repertoires, through a self licensing platform.
The authors' rights are managed separately from CAPIF SGC, so a venue playing recorded music normally deals with both sides. The former joint AADI CAPIF collection appears to have been replaced; the current role of AADI was not verified.
CAPIF SGC's regulation (text of October 2026) calculates the fee as area in square metres (or another scale indicator) times the UVMI (ARS 894.81 from October 2026) times a music use coefficient (1.00 background, 1.50 contextual, 2.00 identity, 3.00 essential) times a territorial or seasonal coefficient (1.00 in cities over 500,000 people, 0.80 for 50,000 to 500,000, 0.60 under 50,000; seasonal 1.20 to 1.30). Any mandatory regulatory cap applies, prepayment discounts reach 15%, and amounts are updated quarterly by CPI.
CAPIF SGC's reference example: a 40 m2 retail shop in Buenos Aires City, ARS 35,792.40. The period of this amount is not stated on the page, and it covers recordings only; SADAIC is separate.
Consumer plans of Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube are licensed for personal, noncommercial use under their own terms, so a private account is not a license to play music to customers.
No local society statement on streaming apps was found for this guide.
CAPIF SGC states that the new framework (Decreto 138/2025 and related rules, with transition periods) replaced the former legal licence system. Authorisation is no longer presumed by law; it must be granted expressly by the right holder or by a society holding mandates, and must cover repertoire actually represented.
This points to royalty free or directly licensed recordings not being chargeable by CAPIF SGC, but the venue should keep proof of the licence and source. The position of SADAIC and AADI under the new regime was not verified.
Law 11.723 article 73 punishes public performance of musical works without authorisation with one month to one year of imprisonment or a fine.
Dr.DIO Studio makes its own electronic and ambient music, no Dr.DIO track is registered with any collecting society, and the Business plan ($14.99 a month per venue, 14 days free) gives the venue a direct public playback license and a certificate for Dr.DIO music.
Under the new Argentine framework CAPIF SGC can license only repertoire it actually represents, which suggests it has no claim on Dr.DIO recordings. The SADAIC position was not verified, so ask SADAIC in writing and keep the certificate.
Any other music in the venue, such as radio, TV, live music or other playlists, still needs the usual licences.
This page explains the general rules as published by the societies and laws listed above, checked in October 2026. It is not legal advice; fees and rules change, so confirm with the society before you decide.
SADAIC's tariffs could not be verified for this guide because its site was under maintenance. Ask SADAIC directly.
The recordings side is now licensed by CAPIF SGC for the producers and performers it represents. AADI's current role after the 2025 reform was not verified.
Area times the UVMI (ARS 894.81 from October 2026) times a music use coefficient and a territorial or seasonal coefficient, with caps and prepayment discounts.
Public performance of protected musical works needs authorisation; Law 11.723 article 73 makes unauthorised performance an offence. SADAIC's specific rules were not verified.
A personal Spotify plan is for personal, noncommercial use only, so it is not a business licence.
It ended the legal licence system for recordings: authorisation must now be granted expressly by the right holder or by a society holding mandates, for repertoire it represents.
