UAE Introduces Music Licensing Fees for Commercial Use

From 1 December 2026, businesses in the UAE that play music commercially will be required to obtain an annual music licence under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026 and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s new Collective Management in Music Guide. The Guide states that collection under the Ministry-approved pricing system will begin on that date.

The initiative represents an important development in the UAE’s copyright framework. Copyright grants creators and other rights holders exclusive rights over certain uses of their musical works and sound recordings, including their performance or communication to the public.

Playing protected music in a commercial setting may therefore require separate permission from the relevant copyright holders. The new framework covers restaurants, cafés, hotels and floating hotels, shopping centres, fitness centres, premium airlines, radio and television broadcasters, concerts, and similar events. Licensing fees vary according to the type and size of the business and how the music is used. Venues using DJs or intensive or live music are subject to a separate tariff reflecting the nature and scale of that use.

The Guide includes the following annual tariffs:

• Restaurants and cafés: AED 1,500 for up to 50 seats, AED 2,700 for 51–100 seats and AED 4,800 for 101–200 seats. Each seat above 200 attracts an additional AED 20, subject to an annual cap of AED 6,000.
• Restaurants and cafés using a DJ, nightclubs and equivalent venues: AED 2,500 for up to 50 seats, AED 3,500 for 51–100 seats and AED 6,500 for 101–200 seats. Each seat above 200 attracts an additional AED 20, subject to an annual cap of AED 8,000.
• Retail outlets and commercial complexes: AED 1,700 for premises of up to 300 square metres and AED 3,400 for premises of 301–700 square metres, plus AED 60 for each additional 25 square metres, subject to an annual cap of AED 20,000.
• Large shopping centres: AED 625 for the first 100 square metres of common area, plus AED 50 for each additional 25 square metres, subject to an annual cap of AED 50,000.
• Fitness centres: AED 1,700 for premises of up to 300 square metres. Larger premises are charged AED 5 for each additional square metre, subject to an annual cap of AED 6,000.
• Hotels and floating hotels: fees vary by star classification and number of rooms. Charges range from AED 50 per room for smaller one- and two-star properties to AED 25,000 for four- and five-star properties with more than 200 rooms.
• Premium airlines: AED 5,000 for up to 50 passenger seats, AED 10,000 for 51–300 seats, AED 30,000 for 301–500 seats and AED 45,000 for more than 500 seats.
• Radio: 1 per cent of annual income for general programming and 3 per cent for music stations, subject to a minimum annual fee of AED 1,700.
• Television: 1 per cent of annual income for general programming channels and 0.25 per cent for news channels, subject to a minimum annual fee of AED 1,700.

For hotels, the room tariff applies only to music used in guest rooms. Restaurants, halls, shops and entertainment facilities within a hotel are assessed separately under the tariff applicable to each activity. In shopping centres, music used in common areas is calculated by reference to the relevant common area.

The Guide requires tariffs to correspond to the actual use of music, prohibits discrimination between users in equivalent circumstances and requires compliance with Ministry-approved collection ceilings. Activities not expressly classified in the tariff matrix, including sporting events, theatrical performances and cinemas—may be governed by relevant contracts. The Ministry may add or amend user categories and determine the applicable tariffs and controls. The approved tariff system may also be reviewed periodically.

Fees will be collected by two Ministry-licensed collective management organisations: Music Nation and the Emirates Music Rights Association. Collective management allows music rights to be licensed centrally and royalties to be distributed to eligible composers, lyricists, performers, producers, publishers and other rights holders.

Where more than one collective management organisation is licensed, the organisations must agree on a joint collection mechanism so that the total amount collected from a user does not exceed the Ministry-approved tariff ceiling. A collective management organisation may not amend the tariff matrix or an approved collection or distribution mechanism without prior Ministry approval. No amount may be imposed on users before the Ministry approves the relevant matrix.

Collective management permits are granted for one year and may be renewed. This statutory one-year term applies expressly to the permits held by collective management organisations. Businesses should confirm the duration and renewal terms of their individual music-use licences with the relevant collecting organisations.

Ten per cent of the amounts collected will be allocated to a Cultural Support Fund for Music before returns are distributed to members. This allocation forms part of the 25 per cent of total collections addressed under the Executive Regulations, and the money must be maintained in a separate bank account.

The Fund is intended to support music creation and production, live performance, training, workshops, artistic residencies, grants, heritage preservation, cultural exchange and the regional and international promotion of Emirati music. It will operate under Ministry supervision and will be subject to governance, conflict-of-interest, financial-control and audit requirements.

Exemptions apply to educational and academic institutions, government entities, uses associated with national occasions, and personal celebrations and events of a non-commercial nature. The Ministry may exempt additional uses or categories by resolution.

Importantly, the charge is a copyright licensing fee rather than a tax. A personal streaming subscription does not generally include the public-performance rights required to play music commercially.

The Ministry has broad supervisory powers over licensed collective management organisations. It may conduct on-site inspections, review relevant records and technical and financial systems, receive complaints from rights holders and music users, seek amicable settlements, impose administrative sanctions or cancel a collective management permit for non-compliance.

The Guide’s annex contains the approved annual tariff matrix. However, businesses should confirm the applicable tariff, calculation method, licensing procedure and joint-collection arrangements against any further Ministry guidance before implementation. Existing contracts remain effective according to their terms to the extent that they do not conflict with UAE laws and regulations.

Sources: UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Collective Management in Music Guide, Version 1.1, issued June 2026; Ministry announcement as reported by Sharjah24, Khaleej Times, and Gulf News.