A fine from Buma/Stemra? There is no such thing. This is what you pay.
Updated
Buma/Stemra and Sena cannot fine you. If you play music without a licence and an inspection finds out, you get an invoice for the tariff that fits your business. Only then you do not get the discount of up to 33.33% you get for registering yourself. If you then do not pay, costs and interest are added, and eventually the district court follows. Mijnlicentie, the joint collection service of both, explains it on its page about invoices (in Dutch).
Why is it not a fine?
A fine is imposed by the government, or by a regulator with that power under the law. Buma/Stemra and Sena are neither. They are organisations that collect payments on behalf of composers, lyricists, performers and record labels. What they send you is an invoice. What they ask a court for is that you pay that invoice.
The district court sees it the same way. A country inn in North Holland paid late and lost a discount of € 699.96 as a result. The business argued that the discount was in effect a fine to force payment. The court did not agree and ordered it to pay the full amount (ECLI:NL:RBNHO:2020:2643).
So what do you pay?
The tariff without the discount. Register yourself and pay on time, and you get a discount. Sena states a maximum of 33.33% in its 2026 tariff overview. Buma/Stemra states up to 33.33% in its tariff sheets for background music and hospitality.
If an inspection finds you playing music without a licence, you do not get that discount. Mijnlicentie writes that after an inspection you still receive an invoice, "but then without this discount".
The full tariff is half as much again as the discounted tariff. If you would pay € 600 a year with the discount, you pay € 900 without it.
The invoice covers the whole period in which you were already playing without a licence. The law generally sets the limit for claims like this at five years (Dutch Civil Code, book 3).
How do Buma and Sena find out?
Buma/Stemra and Sena have field relationship managers. They visit shops and hospitality venues and establish whether music is playing. An invoice follows the visit.
An example from case law. A Sena relationship manager visited a Chinese restaurant on 27 March 2024 and heard music playing. The invoice followed on 10 April, then reminders and final notices, and eventually a summons to the Overijssel district court (ECLI:NL:RBOVE:2025:2179).
What happens if you do not pay?
Mijnlicentie describes four steps. First you get the invoice, with thirty days to pay. Then a reminder, where the discount still stands but € 20 in costs is added. Then a final notice. At that point the discount lapses and you receive an extra invoice for the amount of that discount. After that the claim goes to a debt collection agency.
If you still leave it unpaid, the district court follows. In the restaurant case the court awarded the invoice of € 1,015.66, with interest and € 1,001.38 in legal costs. On top of that came a ban on playing music without a licence, with a penalty of € 100 a day up to a maximum of € 5,000.
The legal costs there were almost as high as the invoice itself. That is what leaving a letter unanswered costs in practice.
When do you not have to pay?
If no customers or public come into your space and no more than two employees can hear the music, you need no licence according to Mijnlicentie. Note that switching on the radio counts as playing music too.
You also do not pay for music with no rights holder behind it that Buma/Stemra or Sena represents. If a supplier says you owe nothing, ask them to put that reasoning in writing.
Spotify is a separate story. Spotify only allows personal use. Play it in your business and you have a problem with Spotify, and on top of that with the levies. See Can you use Spotify for business?
Sources: Mijnlicentie, invoices, Mijnlicentie, do I need a licence, Sena, 2026 tariff overview, Buma/Stemra, tariffs and the two rulings mentioned on rechtspraak.nl, all in Dutch. Consulted on 22 September 2026. This is information, not legal advice.
Work out what you save on your current licence.
Slide in your situation and you will see what you currently pay in music rights every year. That amount disappears, on top of what you save on your current music subscription.
What if your music has no human author?
If you play music by human makers, the cheapest route is simple. Register yourself and pay on time, and you keep the discount.
RadioMatic music is generated entirely by AI. There is no composer or lyricist, and Buma/Stemra itself says that such works do not qualify for copyright or payment. Nothing is due to Sena either, as we set out in our legal memorandum. If a relationship manager does come by, you show what you are playing.
Read the legal reasoningWhy RadioMatic is something other than a playlist or the radio
A business owner who wants music on the premises usually picks from three things. A playlist from a streaming service, an ordinary radio station, or a royalty-free music package. This is where they differ.
| Playlist | Ordinary radio | Royalty-free | RadioMatic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New music | Fixed list | Yes, but not your choice | Limited catalogue | New every day |
| Music that is yours alone | No | No | No | Yes, your own hits |
| Fits the time of day | Switch it yourself | No | Switch it yourself | Automatic |
| Names your business | No | No | No | Yes |
| Your own offers | No | Only if you buy advertising | No | Yes, with no studio |
| Local news and weather | No | Yes, the station’s | No | Yes, your town, your choice of topics |
| Other people’s adverts | No | Yes | No | No |
| Buma/Stemra and Sena | Payable | Payable | See the terms | Not payable |
New music every day
The station keeps getting new tracks in the same style, because the music is generated rather than drawn from a fixed list. A track that lands well with your audience comes round more often, and then it is your hit. It was made for your station and plays nowhere else.
It names your business
Between the tracks, DJ voices announce what is going on at your place. Your offer, your opening hours, this week’s deal. That used to need a studio and a voice actor.
It moves with the day
The morning, the rush and the last hour each call for something different. That is set per part of the day and happens by itself, with nobody behind the counter picking a new list.
Local news if you want it
A short bulletin on the hour about your own town, with the weather and the traffic alongside. You choose which subjects you want, or you switch it off entirely.
No one else’s advertising
On an ordinary station the business down the road advertises in between your tracks. With us, nothing comes in between that is not yours.
Every location from one screen
Each site keeps its own mood, its own promotions and its own opening hours, and you run them all from the same place.
A playlist is worn out within two weeks, and on an ordinary station the business down the road advertises in between your tracks. With us the station is yours. Your style, your announcements, and the tracks that land with your audience come round more often.
Questions that come with this
Further reading
- Radio or TV on in your business? Then you pay Buma and Sena too.The radio counts like anything else. What it costs, when it does not count, and why TV is a third bill.
- What is the difference between Buma, Stemra and Sena?Three names, two bills, and one misunderstanding that costs money.
- How much Buma/Stemra and Sena discount does your trade association give?KHN, ANKO, INretail and others give 14 to 20% extra. What that means in euros, and what membership costs.
- Can you cancel Buma/Stemra, and how do you do it?Only if you stop playing the music you are paying for. Here is how.
Ready to hear it for yourself?
Request access to the beta. Your own station for your business, 14 days free trial, and monthly cancellation if you pay monthly.