Do you have to pay Sena for AI music?
Updated
Not for music made entirely by AI and never released as a record. Sena collects for playing phonograms released for commercial purposes, as set out in Articles 1 and 7 of the Dutch Neighbouring Rights Act. Music made for one station is not released and has no performer or producer. On that ground Sena lost in court in 2025. So with RadioMatic you pay nothing to Sena, and nothing to Buma/Stemra either.
Music without Sena and without Buma
- No Sena and no Buma/Stemra. Because RadioMatic makes the music with AI, there is nobody to collect for.
- Backed up. By the law, the ruling of the district court and our legal memorandum.
- A station of your own. New music every day, with your own hits coming back, like on the radio.
- Fourteen days free. A reply within one working day and live in under ten minutes.
From € 29.99 per location per month, paid yearly. A shop of 200 m² with five staff now pays € 181 a year to Sena and € 427 to Buma/Stemra. Both go.
What Sena says
On its page about AI Sena writes (translated): "Using (illegal) AI-generated music does not release users from the obligation to pay a fee for making music public." The reason Sena gives is that many AI models were trained on music without the rights holders' permission.
That is a point about how a model was trained. It says nothing about what Sena may collect for under the law.
Why you pay nothing to Sena with RadioMatic
The law requires a released record. Sena collects on behalf of performers and record companies for phonograms released for commercial purposes (Articles 1 and 7 of the Neighbouring Rights Act). Our tracks are made for one station and not released.
There is no performer and no producer. Nobody sings or plays, and there is no record company. So there is nobody Sena can collect for.
The court did not side with Sena on that ground. In 2025 the district court in Gelderland rejected a claim by Sena, because it had not been shown that commercially released phonograms were involved (ECLI:NL:RBGEL:2025:6175).
The model was trained cleanly. The maker of the model behind RadioMatic states publicly that it was trained only on rights-free sources, public domain and commissioned or licensed work. On top of that we continuously check every track with audio fingerprinting, like Shazam, and our own tools for similarity to existing protected work.
And Buma/Stemra?
Buma/Stemra itself says that works made entirely by AI without human creative input do not qualify (Buma/Stemra on works made by AI). So with RadioMatic you pay nothing there either.
What to watch for with other providers
Rights included is not the same as no rights. Some providers pay the fees and pass them on in their price. See the providers compared.
Lyrics by a person. If a person writes the lyrics or the melody, there is a creator, and something can be due.
Released AI tracks. An AI track released as a record, for example on Spotify, can fall under Sena.
Sources: Sena on AI, Neighbouring Rights Act, ECLI:NL:RBGEL:2025:6175, Buma/Stemra on works made by AI. Consulted on 24 September 2026. 2026 tariffs, base tariff. 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 it costs with us
With RadioMatic you pay from € 29.99 per location per month, paid yearly, excluding VAT, and that is all. No Sena, no Buma/Stemra and no second bill. The full reasoning is in our legal memorandum.
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.
You can also use RadioMatic directly in Claude or ChatGPT. Add a connector in your chatbot with the address https://radiomatic.ai/mcp/, in Claude via Customize and then Connectors. No login is needed. Then ask, for example: "What does music in my business cost, and what do I save with RadioMatic?" Connect RadioMatic to your chatbot
Related questions
Further reading
- Free invoice check: are you paying too much to Buma/Stemra and Sena?Upload your invoice or letter from Mijnlicentie and we check it.
- Received a letter from Mijnlicentie? These are your options.What that letter is, what your options are, and why ignoring it costs most.
- A fine from Buma/Stemra? There is no such thing. This is what you pay.There is no fine. What you do lose is the discount, and it is a big one.
- 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.
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.