Who licenses what
| Who | What for | |
|---|---|---|
| COMPASS | Composers and Authors Society of Singapore | Public performance of musical works |
| MRSS | Music Rights (Singapore) Public Limited | Public performance of sound recordings of its labels |
Dr.DIO · Music license in Singapore
Music licence for a shop, café or restaurant in Singapore
Singapore businesses playing music need a COMPASS Public Performance Licence for the musical works, and an MRSS licence when they play recordings of MRSS labels.
Which license a café, shop or hotel needs
COMPASS issues Public Performance Licences in tariff categories such as Retail Premises; Restaurant, Café and Coffee House where dancing is not allowed; Food Court; and Hotel, Club, Association and Service Apartment. It covers live or recorded performance of musical works, including streamed background music, and offers indemnity for its repertoire.
MRSS, working with RIAS, licenses public performance of recordings of the labels it administers. Licences are annual, and fees are not prorated for part time use. A Public Entertainment or Arts Entertainment Licence does not replace a COMPASS licence.
How the fee is worked out
COMPASS prices restaurants and cafés by seats and retail by floor area (first 100 m2, then per 25 m2), with annual minimums, plus GST. MRSS prices F&B by seats, retail and offices by area, and hotels by audible area plus rooms and meeting rooms.
Example: a restaurant or café without dancing, 40 seats, pays COMPASS 40 x SGD 8.23 = SGD 329.20 a year plus GST (minimum SGD 275); the tariff year is not stated. The separate MRSS fee for a restaurant or café is SGD 11 per seat up to 40 seats, SGD 440 for 40 seats, effective 21 November 2021. For retail, COMPASS charges SGD 169.22 a year for the first 100 m2 plus SGD 26.59 per extra 25 m2, and MRSS SGD 218 up to 100 m2 plus SGD 33 per extra 25 m2.
Can I play Spotify or YouTube in my business?
COMPASS's FAQ says playing music in a shop from a free or paid Spotify or YouTube plan still needs a COMPASS Public Performance Licence. Streaming services are generally limited to personal, domestic and noncommercial use, so check the end user agreement.
Music outside the collecting societies
Licensing is not mandatory collective, and COMPASS and MRSS licences are needed only for their repertoire. COMPASS warns that royalty free music does not mean copyright free music: check the provider's terms and whether they cover public performance of both the works and the recordings, and keep the provider's licence.
The venue owner, operator and organiser can all be liable. COMPASS says unlicensed public performance may lead to civil or criminal liability, including injunctions, damages, fines or imprisonment; amounts are not stated.
Dr.DIO in Singapore
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 Singapore COMPASS and MRSS licences are needed only for their own repertoire, and the Dr.DIO licence covers public performance of both the works and the recordings, as COMPASS advises checking. A venue playing only Dr.DIO music therefore needs no COMPASS or MRSS licence for it; keep the certificate.
Any other music in the venue, such as radio, TV, live music or other playlists, still needs the usual licences.
Official sources
- COMPASS: https://www.compass.org.sg/
- MRSS: https://www.mrss.com.sg/
- COMPASS licence page: https://www.compass.org.sg/music-users/public-performance-licences/restaurant-cafe-coffee-house-where-dancing-is-not-allowed/
- MRSS licence page: https://www.mrss.com.sg/license-tariffs/
- COMPASS: https://www.compass.org.sg/faq-categories/music-users-faq/
- COMPASS: https://www.compass.org.sg/?p=4552
- COMPASS: https://www.compass.org.sg/music-users/public-performance-licences/retail-premises/
- COMPASS: https://www.compass.org.sg/music-users/public-performance-licences/aerobics/
- MRSS: https://www.mrss.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PPSR-2025.jpg
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 a COMPASS licence for a café in Singapore?
Yes, if you play music from COMPASS repertoire. A café without dancing pays SGD 8.23 per seat a year plus GST, minimum SGD 275.
Do restaurants need an MRSS licence?
If they play recordings of MRSS labels, yes; the restaurant tariff is SGD 11 per seat for up to 40 seats.
What music licence does a shop in Singapore need?
A COMPASS Public Performance Licence for the works, and an MRSS licence for recordings of its labels.
Can I play Spotify in my shop in Singapore?
COMPASS says you still need its licence even with a free or paid Spotify or YouTube plan, and personal plans are for personal use.
How much does background music for F&B cost?
For 40 seats, about SGD 329.20 to COMPASS plus SGD 440 to MRSS a year, plus GST.
Is royalty free music free of COMPASS?
Only if the provider's licence covers public performance of both the works and the recordings. COMPASS says royalty free does not mean copyright free.