Music in the gym: what is allowed and what does it cost?
In a gym music is not background but part of the training, and that shows in the tariff: fitness has its own category with Buma/Stemra and Sena. If you play music by human authors, payments are due over the area where the music can be heard.
Fitness is its own category
Buma/Stemra places fitness spaces in the same category as shopping centres and canteens, with its own bracket per floor area. That works out differently from an ordinary shop.
With Sena the same logic applies on its own basis. In many cases the Sena bill is the higher of the two, and that surprises most owners.
Group classes count separately
Separate arrangements exist for music in group classes alongside the tariff for the room itself. If you play your own playlists at spinning, bodypump or yoga, assume that is looked at separately.
Ask Buma/Stemra and Sena how they classify your situation before you make your declaration. The differences between classifications are larger than the differences within a bracket.
Music that follows the part of the day
A gym has morning members, afternoon members and evening members, and they do not want to hear the same thing. A fixed playlist serves one group well and the rest moderately.
What works is a station that changes tempo per part of the day, without anyone at the desk having to adjust the music.
Tariffs: Buma/Stemra and Sena, tariff year 2026, including the RAAP-PPI surcharge. Sources are published on bumastemra.nl and sena.nl.
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 it costs with us
One amount per location per month and no levies, because the music is generated entirely by AI and there is no rights holder.
The tempo follows the part of the day, you can have your own announcements recorded about class times or offers, and with several sites you steer everything from one dashboard.
Read the legal reasoningQuestions that come with this
Ready to hear it for yourself?
Request access to the beta. Your own station for your business, 14 days free trial, cancel monthly after that.