UAE to charge businesses new fee for playing copyrighted music
Restaurants, cafes and hotels will need to pay an annual royalty fee to play copyrighted music on their premises from December. The royalty fees will be managed by two authorised groups – Music Nation and the Emirates Music Rights Association – and will apply to businesses that use copyrighted music commercially, including shopping malls, fitness centres and airlines. The Ministry of Economy said…
Beginning December 1, 2026, businesses in the UAE, including restaurants, cafes, hotels, shopping malls, fitness centers, and airlines, will be required to pay an annual royalty fee for playing copyrighted music. This regulation will be overseen by the Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation. The fees will be based on the size of the business and the type of music used.
Live music or DJ performances are expected to incur higher costs. Non-commercial entities, such as government bodies, schools, and charitable events, will not be required to pay these fees. The Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation will manage the rights for composers, songwriters, singers, instrumentalists, record producers, and music publishers.
A portion of the collected fees, 10%, will be allocated to a Cultural Support Fund for Music aimed at providing financial, technical, and artistic assistance to musicians throughout their careers. This initiative, outlined in the Collective Management in Music Guide by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, aims to bolster rights management practices in accordance with global standards, ensuring transparency, fairness, and the continued growth of the music sector in the UAE.
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