Story thread · 2 reports / 1 sources

Restaurants and cafes to pay annual fee to play copyrighted music from December

thenationalnews.com · 9h · first reportShare

Restaurants, cafes and hotels will need to pay an annual royalty fee to play copyrighted music on their premises from December. The royalty fees will be managed by two authorised groups – Music Nation and the Emirates Music Rights Association – and will apply to businesses that use copyrighted music commercially, including shopping malls, fitness centres and airlines. The Ministry of Economy said the fees will apply from December 1, 2026, will be valid for one year and will also cover TV channels and radio stations. The cost of the permits is not yet known, but they will be scaled by business size and the type of music used. Live music or DJ performances will generally be subject to higher fees. Non-commercial settings, including government entities, schools and charity events, will not need a paid licence. The Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation will manage the rights of composers, songwriters, singers, instrumentalists, record producers and music publishers. Funding su