Can you use Spotify in a business?

Two things go wrong, not one

The first is your agreement with Spotify. Its terms allow personal, non-commercial use. Playing music in a space where customers come falls outside that. In the worst case Spotify closes the account.

The second is entirely separate, and it is the part most business owners miss: the rights in the music itself. Behind an ordinary track sit a composer, a lyricist, a performing artist and a record label. Buma/Stemra collects for the first two, Sena for the last two. That bill comes straight to you, and it does not disappear if you switch to another service tomorrow.

So you pay twice: once for your subscription, and once for the levies. That is not a criticism of Spotify or of any other provider — it is how the system works, and they cannot change it.

There is no business Spotify subscription

Spotify has no business product for the Dutch market. Anyone searching for background music via Spotify ends up with suppliers that are intended for it, with a licence that covers business use.

With any such provider, ask one question: are the Buma/Stemra and Sena levies included in the amount, or do they come on top? Usually they come on top, and then you are comparing two quotes that are not about the same thing. Ask for a figure that includes them.

What it costs you if you arrange nothing

Buma/Stemra and Sena carry out their own checks and work together under the name mijnlicentie.nl. In practice it almost always starts with a letter or an invoice, not a visit.

What you pay per year depends on your sector and on the number of square metres where the music can be heard. Work it out below for your own situation.