Moldovan law sets flat fees for music in shops, cafés and hotels, collected by a society that AGEPI designates; since 5 March 2026 no collector is designated, so no society may collect for now.
| Who | What for | |
|---|---|---|
| AUTORITY | Asociația Obștească AUTORITY | Authors of musical and audiovisual works; suspended in 2026 |
| ARTTON | Asociația Obștească ARTTON | Performers and producers of phonograms and videograms; suspended in 2026 |
| SC CLAD | Structura Comună de Colectare, Licențiere și Autorizare a Drepturilor | Joint collection structure |
| AGEPI | Agenția de Stat pentru Proprietatea Intelectuală | Approves and controls societies; designates the collector |
Under Law No. 230/2022 on copyright and related rights a user must obtain the rightholder's consent or a license from the society before use (article 105(2)). For background music in shops, hotels, restaurants and cafés this is a license for public communication of musical works, videograms and phonograms, issued by the designated collector or the joint structure SC CLAD.
AGEPI's notice of 3 April 2026 says the collector designations ended on 5 March 2026 and no society may collect for public communication of musical works or the phonogram remuneration until new ones are made; they were still pending on 28 August 2026. AUTORITY and ARTTON were suspended for six months in June and July 2026, and AGEPI warns of fake invoices.
Fees are flat amounts from negotiated methodologies published in the Monitorul Oficial and binding on all users in the sector, indexed for inflation (articles 99 to 102). Hotels pay per room per day by star category and location, food service units pay monthly by floor area and locality, and shops by area and locality, with separate grids for malls and supermarkets.
2025 example: a café or restaurant up to 50 m2 in Chișinău or another municipality pays MDL 535 a month, as indexed by 7% under AGEPI Order 76 of 20 June 2025. The amount covers authors and related rights holders together.
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.
Public communication of musical works is under extended collective management (article 78(3)): a license from the representative society also covers non members, but rightholders may withdraw their works by notice, and the society must exclude them within 30 days (article 78).
The single equitable remuneration of performers and producers for public communication of commercially published phonograms is under mandatory collective management (articles 70 and 73). It is managed only through the designated collector, which also represents rightholders who gave it no mandate, with no opt out, so it applies even to directly licensed recordings by non members.
Infringement brings civil, contravention or criminal liability (article 109). Whether amounts for the period without a designated collector can be claimed later is not addressed officially.
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 Moldova the phonogram remuneration is mandatory collective with no opt out, so once a collector is designated it can claim for Dr.DIO recordings played in a venue. On the authors' side Dr.DIO works are covered by the extended license unless Dr.DIO withdraws them by notice to the society.
Right now no collector is designated. Check AGEPI's page for the current collector and ask it in writing, with the Dr.DIO certificate, what it will charge.
Any other music in the venue, such as radio, TV, live music or other playlists, still needs the usual licenses.
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.
Under the 2025 indexed methodology, a café up to 50 m2 in Chișinău or another municipality pays MDL 535 a month.
Nobody for now. The collector designations ended on 5 March 2026, and new ones were still pending in August 2026.
No. AGEPI abrogated its approval in 2016.
No. Personal plans are for personal, noncommercial use, and the law requires consent or a license before use.
For recordings, yes once a collector is designated, because the phonogram remuneration is mandatory collective.
Check AGEPI's page for the currently designated collector before paying; AGEPI warns of fake invoices.
