Who licenses what
| Who | What for | |
|---|---|---|
| SCD | Sociedad Chilena del Derecho de Autor | Public communication of works and the phonogram component |
| PROFOVI | PROFOVI (producers of phonograms and videograms) | Role for ordinary background music not verified |
Dr.DIO · Music license in Chile
Music license for a shop, café or restaurant in Chile
In Chile the SCD licence for public communication collects both for musical works and for the phonogram performance right. Shops pay monthly by area, restaurants by income or a fixed factor.
Which license a café, shop or hotel needs
SCD licenses public communication of music in a business, from radio, playlists, TV, streaming or DJs, for works of its members and foreign societies. Its general tariffs list a works component and a phonogram performance component separately, so one SCD licence collects both.
SCD publishes tariffs by sector, for example Tarifa 01 for shops and services, Tarifa 09 for hotels and Tarifa 10 for restaurants, cafés and bars. Under article 100 of Law 17.336 societies must license anyone who asks, at general tariffs published in the Diario Oficial.
How the fee is worked out
Shops are charged monthly per square metre of the area where music is played. Restaurants pay either a percentage of gross monthly income excluding VAT under the transitional tariff (1.25% for works plus 0.625% for phonograms for restaurants, 1.5% plus 0.75% for cafés and bars) or a fixed factor times the Unidad Musical under the HOTELGA agreement.
Example from SCD Tarifa 01 (2026), monthly, for an establishment up to 25 m2: CLP 13,083.41 for works plus CLP 6,541.71 for phonograms, CLP 19,625.12 in total, plus CLP 175.69 per additional m2. Under agreements with chambers of commerce the figure is CLP 15,700.11 plus 132.18 per m2. The table attribution was inferred from the PDF layout, so check with SCD.
Can I play Spotify or YouTube in my business?
SCD states that music in a business, including from streaming, counts as public communication and requires its licence. 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.
Music outside the collecting societies
Article 18 of Law 17.336 gives authors the exclusive right of public communication, and article 21 lets venues obtain the authorisation through the society without forcing them to. Under article 67, however, the remuneration for public communication of phonograms must be collected through the society representing performers and producers.
Article 85 H presumes, unless proven otherwise, that rights subsist in a work or phonogram first published less than 70 years ago, so the user must prove the music is free or licensed elsewhere. Keep the provider's licence and proof that the rights holders are not represented by SCD.
Article 79 makes unauthorised use an offence, with prison or fines in monthly tax units scaled to the damage, and civil actions are available. Courts have upheld SCD claims against restaurants.
Dr.DIO in Chile
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.
In Chile the phonogram remuneration is collected only through the society, so a direct licence settles the authors' side but may not settle the phonogram component of the SCD tariff. Ask SCD in writing, with the Dr.DIO certificate, whether it claims the phonogram part for Dr.DIO recordings.
Any other music in the venue, such as radio, TV, live music or other playlists, still needs the usual licences.
Official sources
- SCD: https://scd.cl/
- SCD licence page: https://scd.cl/sitio/licencias/
- SCD licence page: https://scd.cl/sitio/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/TARIFA-01.pdf
- SCD licence page: https://scd.cl/sitio/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/TARIFA-10.pdf
- SCD licence page: https://scd.cl/sitio/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/TARIFA-09.pdf
- SCD: https://scd.cl/sitio/tarifas/
- SCD: https://scd.cl/sitio/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/DISPOSICIONES-ESPECIALES.pdf
- Chilean Intellectual Property Law 17.336: https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=28933
About this guide
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.
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Questions
Do I need an SCD licence for music in a commercial premises?
Yes, if you play protected music to customers. SCD states that any music in a business, including streaming, is public communication.
How much does SCD charge a restaurant?
Either a percentage of gross monthly income (for restaurants 1.25% for works plus 0.625% for phonograms) or a fixed factor times the Unidad Musical under the HOTELGA agreement.
Do I have to pay copyright for background music in Chile?
Yes for protected music. The author side can be licensed directly, but the phonogram remuneration must be collected through the society under article 67.
What is the SCD tariff for a café?
Under the transitional income based tariff, cafés and bars pay 1.5% for works plus 0.75% for phonograms of gross monthly income excluding VAT.
Can I play Spotify in my shop in Chile without SCD?
No. SCD says streaming in a business needs its licence, and personal Spotify plans are for personal use only.
Can I use royalty free music in a Chilean shop?
For the author side yes, with proof. For phonograms the law routes the remuneration through the society, so ask SCD in writing.