How Much Will UAE Music Licensing Fees Cost Businesses in 2026?

UAE businesses will have an obligation to get an annual music license under the Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s new Collective Management. These new rules apply only to commercial music playing and will not affect Schools, government entities, national occasions, or personal, non-commercial celebrations for playing music under the new Ministerial Resolution. Fees are different depending on business type and size, starting from about Dh1,500 for a small café to Dh50,000 for a large shopping mall.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism announced a Ministerial Resolution on August 11, 2026, that restaurants, cafés, hotels and floating hotels, shopping malls, gyms and fitness centers, airlines, radio stations, TV channels, concerts and similar commercial events are obliged to get a license and pay a music fee. Businesses that are unsure whether the new music licensing requirements apply to their activities may consider seeking legal advice in the UAE before using copyrighted music commercially. Legal guidance can help clarify licensing obligations, applicable tariffs, contractual issues, and potential copyright compliance risks.

The UAE is regulating the commercial use of music under a single, nationwide structure. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s Collective Management in Music introduced guidelines and rules that apply to copyright and related rights, which are licensed and collected if any business uses music for commercial purposes.

It means that a venue that plays music for customers over speakers, through in-house entertainment, or as part of a broadcast needs special permission and a separate public-performance licensing matter, even if they already have a personal music subscription. If any business does not have a music license, it does not have the legal right to play that music publicly. Under the new resolution, personal listening rights and commercial public-performance rights will be handled legally on different bases.

Businesses that commercially use protected music may need to obtain the applicable music-use license through the authorized collective management framework and pay the relevant tariff. Before, it was only a fixed part of their subscription or in-house sound system, but now they must follow licensing obligations. Businesses that play music for customers should review their business legal requirements carefully, as commercial music use may create separate copyright and licensing obligations in addition to ordinary operational licenses and permits.

Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026 became effective on 6 July 2026, while collection under the new tariff schedule will begin on 1 December 2026. The Ministry publicly announced the Guide on 11 August 2026. So, businesses have almost three and a half months to prepare before fee collection begins on December 1, 2026. Licences issued under the system are valid for one year and can be renewed under the applicable rules and conditions.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism publicly launched the Collective Management in Music Guide on 11 August 2026. The Guide was adopted under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026, issued on 29 June 2026, with the new tariff collection system applying from 1 December 2026. Ministry had already begun developing its collective music-rights management framework before the 2026 Guide. Under the new framework, the Ministry identifies the Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation as the two authorized entities responsible for collecting the applicable fees and managing music rights. The Ministry will still monitor both collecting bodies, with more effective field inspections, review financial and technical records, handle complaints from rights holders and businesses, and can change licence terms where required for regulatory or public-interest reasons, with immediate compliance expected from licensees.

All businesses that use music commercially are linked to copyright and related rights, including Restaurants, cafés, Hotels, floating hotels, Shopping malls and retail centers, Gyms and fitness centers. Airlines with integrated in-flight entertainment, Radio stations, and television channels. Concerts, festivals, and live events also require a music license under the new resolution.

The Ministry did not publish fee amounts at the time of announcement but shared the details of the tariff schedule.

Restaurants & cafés will get a music license costing Dh1,500 if they host 50 seats. If they have more space, like 51 to 100 seats will get a license costing 2700, and Dh4,800 for 101 to 200. For restaurants and cafés with more than 200 seats, an additional AED 20 per seat applies, subject to an annual maximum of AED 6,000.

Restaurants, cafés & venues that have a live music facility will pay more, like Dh2,500 if they’re hosting up to 50 seats, rising to Dh3,500 for 51 to 100 seats and Dh6,500 for 101–200 seats, plus Dh20 per seat beyond 201.

Larger retail & commercial premises are expected to pay Dh 60 for every additional 25 sqm. Shopping malls with common areas will pay Dh625 for the first 100 sqm, plus Dh50 for every additional 25 sqm, with an expected annual cap of Dh50,000. Gyms & fitness centers have Dh1,700 for up to 300 sqm, plus Dh5 per additional sqm, with an expected Annual cap of Dh6,000.

Hotels & floating hotels will pay Dh50 to Dh150 per room depending on star rating, from one- and two-star up to four- and five-star properties. Annual cap will be approximately Dh25,000 for the highest room-count band.

Airlines which offer flight entertainment will pay Dh5,000 to Dh45,000 depending on the number of seats covered. Radio stations will pay 1% of annual income for general programming, rising to 3% for music-focused stations. TV channels will also pay 0.25% to 1% of annual income.

Venues with live music or a DJ will pay more than other businesses playing recorded music. Malls will pay for the common space. Individual tenant units are not supposed to pay for music playing, so leaseholders will not pay individually for the common-area license.

The Ministry authorized organizations to operate the licensing system. Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation will be responsible for collecting the money. These organizations have Ministry permits to issue licenses, collect fees, and distribute royalties to composers, lyricists, performers, musicians, producers and publishers, according to the rights each represents.

Businesses should confirm the applicable licensing requirements with the relevant Ministry-authorized collective management organisation, depending on the rights and repertoire involved. Both bodies will keep proper financial and technical records and will be subject to Ministry audits.

UAE public performance licensing for commercial music is not a first-time practice for the UAE. Globally, it’s already standard practice in most developed markets. In the United Kingdom, businesses that play music commercially typically need licences from PRS for Music and PPL. In the United States, organisations such as ASCAP, BMI and SESAC also practice the same rules and regulations, while GEMA in Germany, SACEM in France and equivalent collecting societies operate across the EU.

The UAE’s Collective Management in Music Guide will also practice an internationally common model for the country, separating personal listening rights from commercial public-performance rights. UAE introduced the tariff structure to local business categories. UAE businesses that already operate internationally, or hotel groups and franchises with a presence in these markets, are already working under these terms and conditions.

The Ministry will actively monitor compliance, both by the two authorised collecting bodies and, indirectly, the businesses they licence. Inspections and reviews of financial and technical records will be conducted under the same Ministry. Rights holders and businesses can also file complaints to the Ministry says it will try to resolve them amicably before pursuing formal regulatory action.

A specific penalty schedule for unlicensed businesses has not been published. However, operating without the required licence is expected to expose a business to administrative fines and other regulatory penalties.