Music on the terrace. Is it allowed, and what does it cost?
Updated
The short answer Yes, music on the terrace is allowed, and the terrace counts towards what you pay Buma/Stemra and Sena. They look at the area where the music can be heard, inside and out.
The council How loud it may be and until when is up to the council. That is set out in local rules.
With RadioMatic You pay one amount per location, from € 29.99 a month, whether you play inside or outside. You pay nothing to Buma/Stemra and Sena. The council's noise rules still apply.
Music on your terrace, without an extra bill
- A station of your own. The best music in your business every day, and the station remembers your hits.
- We handle your switch. After your trial we cancel Buma/Stemra, Sena and your old music service for you, free of charge. How the switching service works.
- Just atmosphere music, or a complete business radio. With a presenter who mentions your business by name, news and your own adverts, if you want.
- Works on what is already there. Sonos, Chromecast, a browser or the line-in of your amplifier.
- 14 days free. A reply within one working day and live in under ten minutes.
From € 29.99 per location per month. What you now pay Buma/Stemra and Sena goes, and so does your current music subscription.
What do Buma/Stemra and Sena cover, and what does the council cover?
Buma/Stemra and Sena are about the rights in the music. You pay them as soon as music by human authors can be heard by the public, inside or outside.
The council is about noise nuisance. How loud may it be, until what time, and is amplified sound allowed at all? That sits in the local by-law, which differs per municipality and sometimes per street.
If you pay Buma/Stemra and Sena properly, you can still breach the council’s noise rules.
Does the terrace count for Buma and Sena?
Yes. For the declaration to Buma/Stemra and Sena, what matters is the space where the music can be heard. If there are speakers on your terrace, that area counts.
That can push you into a higher bracket than you would expect from your indoor space alone. Work it out below. How the hospitality tariffs work in more detail is explained in Music in hospitality.
What if your terrace is only open in season?
A terrace runs from March to October. The music should move with it, calmer during the day and fuller towards the end of the afternoon.
If you close in winter, ask Buma/Stemra and Sena whether you can adjust the declaration to the period the terrace is actually in use. It is not automatic, but it is worth asking.
Tariffs: Buma/Stemra and Sena, tariff year 2026, including the RAAP-PPI surcharge. Sources are published on bumastemra.nl and sena.nl. Rules on sound levels sit in your own municipality’s by-law. Also used ECLI:NL:RBGEL:2025:6175.
Work out what you save
Three questions, and you see what you now spend on Buma/Stemra, Sena and your music service.
What kind of business do you have?
What RadioMatic does on your terrace
With RadioMatic your terrace gets its own mood, separate from inside. It sounds calmer during the day and fuller towards the end of the afternoon, and it changes by itself with the part of the day. Between the tracks you put your own announcements, such as your opening hours or an offer.
You pay one amount per location per month, whether you play inside or outside. Buma/Stemra itself states that works made entirely by AI do not qualify for copyright or payment. The same applies to Sena. Sena can only collect for a recording that has been commercially released, and on that ground Sena lost in court in 2025. The full reasoning is in our legal memorandum.
That has no effect on your council’s rules. Noise limits apply to all music, whoever it belongs to. That remains your own responsibility.
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 |
| Several locations | Set up per location | No | Set up per location | Yes, from one place, each with its own mood |
| Buma/Stemra and Sena | Payable | Payable | See the terms | Not payable |
Questions about music on the terrace
Further reading
- What does music cost in hospitality, and does the terrace count?The highest tariff of all categories, and why the terrace counts.
- What music suits your restaurant, and what does it cost?Mood by time of day, what research really says, and the levies at the hospitality rate.
- Can you use Spotify in a bar or restaurant?No. And what then lands on your doormat is a bill, not a fine.
- Which music system do you need for your venue?Source, amplifier and speakers. What Sonos can and cannot do, and when to call an installer.
Ready to hear it for yourself?
Try RadioMatic free for 14 days. Your own station for your business, without Buma/Stemra and Sena, and cancel monthly if you pay monthly.
Rather talk first? Book a 15-minute call