Radio or TV on in your business? Then you pay Buma and Sena too.
Updated
Yes, even if you only switch on the radio you pay Buma/Stemra and Sena. Mijnlicentie, the joint collection service of both, writes that you need a licence when customers or the public can hear the music, "also when using radio". In a space without customers, such as a workshop or canteen, you need a licence as soon as three or more employees hear the music. Show TV programmes and a licence from Videma comes on top.
Doesn’t the radio station already pay?
Many business owners think so. The station does pay, but for something else. A station pays for broadcasting. You pay for playing it in your business, and that is a separate communication to the public. Sena writes in its 2026 tariff overview (in Dutch) that its tariffs apply to music played "by means of radio, television, streaming services, CD player and/or other playback equipment".
Buma/Stemra puts it just as plainly in its tariff sheet for workspaces. "At many companies a radio is on or a PC plays tracks. You owe a fee for the use of that music."
If you mostly listen to a talk station, that makes no difference. According to INretail, on its page about Buma/Stemra and Sena, the fee "already takes into account that you do not listen to music 100% of the time".
When does the radio count, and when not?
Mijnlicentie applies two rules (do I need a music licence). Where customers or the public come, you need a licence as soon as the music can be heard. In a space without public, such as a canteen, warehouse or office, only once three or more employees hear it.
So a radio in the workshop behind the business, where two mechanics work, needs no licence. The same radio in the shop at the front does. MKB Servicedesk puts it the same way, as music heard by customers, guests or more than two employees.
Volume does not matter. Quietly in the background can still be heard. How it works out for offices and canteens is on Music in the office.
What does the radio in your business cost?
The tariff depends on the space, not on the source. A shop up to 100 m² with at most 5 FTE pays Buma/Stemra € 189.70 in 2026 after the registration discount (background music tariff sheet) and Sena € 95.53, plus the 26.6% surcharge Sena has charged since 2022. Together that is about € 311 a year.
In hospitality it is higher. A café of 31 to 100 m² pays Buma/Stemra € 448.02 after the same discount (hospitality tariff sheet) and Sena € 674.32 plus surcharge. Together that is about € 1,302 a year. VAT is added to the Buma part.
The calculator below shows the base tariff, so without that discount. For the shop that is € 466, for the café € 1,952. More about shops is on Music in shops, more about hospitality on Music in hospitality.
What do you pay for a TV in your business?
Buma/Stemra and Sena are not the right address for the pictures of a TV programme. Videma handles that, directly and not through Mijnlicentie. Videma adds that it "does not arrange permission for playing musical works in a TV programme; Buma and Sena handle that". If a TV in your business shows a music channel, you can end up with three bills.
A café up to 50 m² pays Videma € 247.34 a year in 2026 after the discount, KHN members € 217.66 (Videma, cafés). A shop pays € 488.81 per branch (Videma, retail). Pay channels such as ESPN, Viaplay and Ziggo Sport are not covered by that licence.
If there is a TV in the reception, canteen or meeting room of your company, it falls under the licence for offices and businesses, from 3 FTE. It costs € 95.67 per room per year for 3 to 10 FTE (Videma, offices and businesses). MKB Servicedesk sums up Videma’s tariffs as "a few tens to a few hundred euros" a year (A television in the business).
Sources: Mijnlicentie, do I need a music licence, Sena, 2026 tariff overview, the Buma/Stemra tariff sheets for workspaces, background music and hospitality, the tariffs of Videma, INretail and MKB Servicedesk, 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.
Your own station instead of the radio
Switching on the radio is the easiest way to have music in your business. RadioMatic is just as easy. Your own station plays on what is already there, through a browser, Chromecast, Sonos or line-in on your amplifier.
The difference is in what you hear. The music is generated entirely by AI, and Buma/Stemra itself says that such works without a human creative contribution do not qualify for copyright or payment. The same applies to Sena. The law requires a phonogram released for commercial purposes, and on that ground Sena lost in court in 2025. The full reasoning is in our legal memorandum. Between the tracks you hear no one else’s advertising. You hear DJ moments that mention your business by name, local news on the hour and your own promotions.
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
- 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.
- Playing music without Buma/Stemra and Sena. Is it possible?Which routes exist, what they really cost, and which one holds up.
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.