Who licenses what
| Who | What for | |
|---|---|---|
| SAMRO | Southern African Music Rights Organisation | Performing rights in musical works |
| SAMPRA | South African Music Performance Rights Association | Needletime for recording artists and labels |
Dr.DIO · Music license in South Africa
Music licence for a shop, café or restaurant in South Africa
South African businesses that play music need two separate licences: SAMRO for the musical works, and SAMPRA for needletime on sound recordings.
Which license a café, shop or hotel needs
SAMRO licenses public performance of musical works in shops, restaurants and shopping centres under background music tariffs. SAMPRA issues a Communication to the Public (Non Broadcasting) licence for needletime on sound recordings played in public. No joint licence was found, so businesses contact both.
How the fee is worked out
Fees depend on the audible area in square metres and or the number of employees in areas where music is audible (per RMI guidance).
The only figure in the sources is old: in a 2015 judgment the Supreme Court of Appeal set the SAMPRA needletime for a retail store with an audible area up to 50 m2 at ZAR 150 a year, effective 1 January 2008. It has likely been superseded, so ask SAMPRA for the current tariff.
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. RMI notes that radio or TV played at work also needs the licences.
Music outside the collecting societies
Section 9A of the Copyright Act says that, in the absence of an agreement to the contrary, no person may play a sound recording without paying a royalty to the copyright owner; the tariff is set by agreement or by the Copyright Tribunal, and the royalty is shared with performers.
So a written agreement with the owner, for example a royalty free licence, can displace the SAMPRA charge, but it is not automatic: keep the agreement, and note the performer's share interest. SAMRO's side requires its repertoire; no statutory presumption was found. The status of the pending Copyright Amendment Bill was not verified.
Penalties were not officially documented.
Dr.DIO in South Africa
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 South Africa the Dr.DIO licence is the kind of agreement with the owner that section 9A allows, and Dr.DIO works are not in SAMRO's repertoire, so a venue playing only Dr.DIO music should not need SAMRO or SAMPRA licences for it. Keep the certificate as the written agreement.
Any other music in the venue, such as radio, TV, live music or other playlists, still needs the usual licences.
Official sources
- SAMRO: https://www.samro.org.za
- SAMPRA: https://www.sampra.org.za
- Supreme Court of Appeal, SAMPRA v Foschini (2015): https://lawlibrary.org.za/akn/za/judgment/zasca/2015/188/eng@2015-11-30/source.pdf
- Spotify Terms of Use: https://www.spotify.com/us/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 a SAMRO licence for a restaurant cost?
SAMRO prices by audible area and or staff numbers; no current official figure was available for this guide.
Do shops need a SAMPRA needletime licence?
Yes, for sound recordings played in public, unless there is an agreement to the contrary with the owner under section 9A.
Do I need both SAMRO and SAMPRA?
Usually yes: SAMRO for the songs and SAMPRA for the recordings. There is no joint licence.
Do I need a music licence for my business in South Africa?
Yes for protected music, including radio or TV played at work.
Can I play Spotify in my shop in South Africa?
No. Personal plans are for personal, noncommercial use.
Does a restaurant need a music licence?
Yes, normally from both SAMRO and SAMPRA, priced by audible area or staff.