Who licenses what
| Who | What for | |
|---|---|---|
| SACEM Lux | SACEM Luxembourg | Authors and publishers; music in shops and HORECA |
Dr.DIO · Music license in Luxembourg
Music license for a café, shop or restaurant in Luxembourg
Luxembourg businesses playing music get an authorization from SACEM Luxembourg for the authors' rights; no society was found collecting a recordings fee from shops or HORECA.
Which license a café, shop or hotel needs
SACEM Luxembourg issues an authorization for music broadcasting in commercial premises under tariff C1 for shops (with other tariffs for specific trades) and a separate authorization for hotels, restaurants and cafés. Its pages cover the authors' rights only and say nothing about performers or producers.
How the fee is worked out
Shops pay an annual flat fee by the area where music is heard, and SACEM says the source (TV, radio, smartphone, CD or streaming) does not change it; for shopping streets and galleries the area is the length times 5. HORECA tariffs are agreed with the sector's professional organization and graded by the population density of the locality. Members of signatory organizations get 20% off, and 3% VAT is added.
2026 example: SACEM Luxembourg tariff C1, shop up to 100 m2, EUR 164 a year excluding 3% VAT (EUR 133 for members of signatory organizations; 101 to 200 m2 EUR 236). A radio with a built in speaker in up to 200 m2 pays 50%.
Can I play Spotify or YouTube in my business?
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
Under the Law of 18 April 2001 the author has an exclusive right of communication to the public (article 4). No mandatory collective management, extended licensing or presumption that SACEM represents all authors was found for public performance; mandatory collective management applies only to cable retransmission (article 61). Music whose authors are in no society and which is licensed directly therefore needs no SACEM license.
Article 47 gives performers and producers a single equitable remuneration for public communication of published phonograms, but leaves how it is set and collected to a grand ducal regulation. No such regulation was found in the official lists, and AEPO ARTIS reported in 2022 that Luxembourg has no performers' society; this is a negative finding, not an official statement.
Caveats: SACEM's tariff is a blanket fee by area, so the venue must be able to show that all music played is outside SACEM's worldwide repertoire, and the direct license must cover public performance. If a regulation is adopted later, the article 47 remuneration could apply to all published phonograms. Unlicensed use is the offense of contrefaçon (article 82).
Dr.DIO in Luxembourg
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.
Luxembourg law gives authors an exclusive right with no mandatory collective rule for public performance, and no recordings fee is collected today, so a venue playing only Dr.DIO music should not need a SACEM Luxembourg authorization for it. Keep the certificate and track list as proof, since SACEM's fee is a blanket fee by area.
If a collector for the article 47 recordings remuneration is set up later, this may change; ask SACEM Luxembourg in writing if you want certainty.
Any other music in the venue, such as radio, TV, live music or other playlists, still needs the usual licenses.
Official sources
- SACEM Luxembourg: https://www.sacem.lu
- SACEM Luxembourg license page: https://www.sacem.lu/fr/utilisateurs-de-musique/diffusion-de-musique
- SACEM Luxembourg license page: https://www.sacem.lu/fr/utilisateurs-de-musique/cafes-restaurants
- SACEM Luxembourg tariff C1: https://www.sacem.lu/media/01e51182-eafd-4c0e-9d3b-20f7dc0edd97.pdf
- SACEM Luxembourg: https://www.sacem.lu/fr/liens
- Law of 18 April 2001, consolidated text in the 2021 government bill: https://gouvernement.lu/dam-assets/documents/actualites/2021/07-juillet/05-droits-auteur/Projet-de-loi.pdf
- WIPO Lex, Luxembourg copyright law: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/2932
- Ministry of Culture legislation list: https://mcult.gouvernement.lu/fr/Organisation/legislation.html
- Spotify Terms of Use: https://www.spotify.com/legal/end-user-agreement/
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
How much does SACEM Luxembourg cost for a shop?
Under tariff C1 in 2026, a shop up to 100 m2 pays EUR 164 a year excluding 3% VAT, or EUR 133 for members of signatory organizations.
Do I need a SACEM license for a café in Luxembourg?
Yes for SACEM repertoire. HORECA tariffs are agreed with the sector and graded by the population density of the locality.
Do I also pay for the recordings in Luxembourg?
No recordings fee is collected today; the law provides one, but no regulation or society for it was found.
Can I play Spotify in my shop in Luxembourg?
No. Personal plans are for personal, noncommercial use, and SACEM charges the same fee whatever the source.
Does a radio in a shop cost less?
Yes. A radio with a built in speaker in up to 200 m2 pays 50% of the C1 tariff.
Can a shop use music outside SACEM?
Yes. No mandatory collective rule was found, so directly licensed music outside SACEM needs no SACEM license. Keep proof.