FAQ

Music Eye View creates, deploys and governs sound identities for brands, places and institutions. The work connects what a brand wants to express with the people it is meant for, the way a place is used and the music itself, then gives those choices a form that can be programmed, documented, adapted and handed on over time.

A playlist brings tracks together for a particular moment. A musical style describes a family of repertoires. A professional streaming service provides a catalogue, tools and a playback solution. A sound identity defines the criteria, relationships, exclusions and room for variation that guide choices today and allow different choices tomorrow while preserving the direction.

The same identity can therefore move across styles, programmes and seasons. Deployment then carries that direction into the spaces and moments where it needs to be heard.

Music Eye View currently works across five public sectors: Hospitality & F&B, Healthcare & Wellbeing, Co-Living & Co-Working, Retail & Showroom, and Campus & Education. Each calls for different decisions around spaces, uses, dayparts, voices, levels and the place of silence.

Other situations can be considered when the sound question genuinely involves an identity that needs to be articulated, deployed or governed.

Curation, programming and the governance of existing works are at the heart of our practice. Original music, a sonic logo or a dedicated theme can form part of a project when it serves a clear function. Music Eye View can then frame the direction and work with the relevant composers or studios so that the new material sits coherently within the wider sound identity.

The direction keeps its underlying principles while its expression becomes more specific in each context. Local habits, cultural references, languages, the rhythms of the place, technical constraints and the territory’s licensing framework all form part of that reading.

Music Eye View works from Paris and Hong Kong on projects in more than thirty-five countries. Each location can therefore interpret the shared direction from its own context, with that local adaptation documented.

It becomes relevant when sound plays a lasting part in how a brand is expressed, how a place is experienced or how an institution works, and the choices need to remain understandable, usable, adaptable and transferable beyond a one-off playlist.

The key signals are the importance of identity, the intended duration, the number or variety of spaces and uses, and the need to preserve a coherent direction over time.

A network shares one direction while each location receives programming adapted to its own place, audiences and uses. The common principles are articulated precisely enough to connect those different expressions.

Deployment can begin with one location when that helps test the direction, distinguish what belongs to the brand from what belongs to the place, and then extend the work from a documented base.

The organisation retains the recognisable sound expression of the brand, the articulated direction, the choice criteria, the decision history and the materials provided for under the contract. Together, these allow a new team or operator to understand the project and pick it up from the point already reached.

The works and recordings themselves remain subject to the rights of their respective rights holders and the applicable licences. The asset lies in the direction, its principles, its memory and its ability to remain recognisable as it evolves.

Scope is built around the number of locations and zones, whether a direction needs to be created or taken over, the state of the existing system, the depth of programming required, technical interfaces, documentation and the expected governance rhythm.

Once those parameters are clear, the timetable is matched to the actual scale of the project. A single venue, a multi-site portfolio and a takeover of an existing system do not call for the same sequence.

Music Eye View starts with the existing ecosystem. Where it can carry the sound direction properly, it remains in place and the programmes are integrated with the relevant teams.

We define the requirements needed for playback, operate the systems that sit within our scope and coordinate the interfaces. Networks, cybersecurity, audiovisual equipment, acoustics, installation and third-party systems remain with the parties that operate or administer them.

Music Eye View works with the venue’s playback architecture rather than requiring a proprietary ecosystem. Depending on the project, our streams can operate across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android or iOS, within centralised, decentralised or hybrid architectures, and connect with multiroom systems such as Sonos, Bang & Olufsen, Google Home or JBL, web browsers or media players such as VLC, dedicated web apps, and professional audio and IP infrastructure such as Barix or Dante.

The exact configuration depends on the infrastructure already in place, the way the venue is used, its zones and the responsibilities defined for the engagement. The principle is to start with the system that is actually in place and preserve editorial continuity all the way through to what people hear.

Confidentiality is considered from the first conversations and formalised where the context requires it. The conditions for publishing a case study, naming a client, using a testimonial or speaking publicly about a project are agreed with the client.

Any need for enhanced confidentiality, exclusivity or conflict-of-interest management is set out in the engagement documents.

Public-performance obligations depend on the territory, the type of venue, the way music is used and the rights involved. Within the Music Eye View framework, they remain the responsibility of the operator, partner or end client according to the contractual relationship and territory concerned.

Music Eye View can advise, flag the issue and document it, then identify the relevant organisations and steps during scoping. The applicable position is checked for each country when the engagement is defined.

Position as at Q3 2026. Collection regimes and procedures change over time; the applicable framework is checked when each engagement is scoped.

The partner retains the end-client relationship, brand, pricing and editorial direction. Music Eye View can provide and operate the streaming infrastructure: stream hosting and monitoring, a WebApp under the partner’s brand where agreed, operational documentation and second-line technical support.

The partner provides first-line support to its client. Sound identity governance remains a separate engagement when it is entrusted to Music Eye View. The Master Services Agreement also defines the technical boundaries and the non-solicitation protection for end clients introduced by the partner.

Both modes use the same technical foundation and leave editorial direction with the partner. In Mode A, the partner manages its content, playlists and schedules directly. In Mode B, Music Eye View handles the day-to-day operation of content from complete briefs and playlists supplied or approved by the partner.

The mode determines who handles day-to-day content operations; the client relationship, brand, pricing and editorial approval remain with the partner in both cases.

Its value shows in its ability to remain recognisable while programmes, teams, places or seasons change; in criteria that make decisions possible; in a documented memory that keeps those decisions intelligible; and in a direction the organisation can understand, take forward and develop over time.

That value lies in a durable expression of the brand and in the organisation’s ability to retain the intelligence behind it.

Music Eye View tracks what can be observed through operation and governance: coherence across zones or sites, the stability of rules, the nature and frequency of consolidated feedback, programming versions and documented decisions. Business indicators remain with the client’s teams and their own tools.

Music forms part of an environment experienced by people whose perceptions, references and responses remain individual. We therefore treat an intended experience as a direction to work towards, not as a causal promise attached to a particular track or programme.

We create a bespoke sonic identity for your venue and manage how its music is played day to day. We curate the music to exacting standards, programme it to suit each space and time of day, and support your teams so that music has a consistent role throughout your venue.

We start with your identity, the people who come to your venue and how the space is used. A shop, a waiting room, a campus, a workplace and a hotel each need a different approach to music. Our selection and programming reflect those differences while preserving what makes your venue recognisable.

With your teams, we agree what can be personalised, which choices to keep and how they can evolve. This gives your teams clear guidance for managing the music and communicating the decisions we have made together, so the approach remains consistent as teams, seasons or locations change.

Find music licensing contacts by country

In the vast majority of cases, yes. Playing music for the people at your premises goes beyond private listening. This applies to shops, waiting rooms, educational establishments and workplaces just as it does to hotels, restaurants and spas.

Music played to the public may come from a radio, a television with audible sound or a playlist on your phone. Buying the tracks or paying for a subscription does not authorise this use. Before you start, public performance rights must be covered through the relevant organisations in your country or through permission that expressly includes them.

Exceptions apply only under specific conditions. In education, for example, using a work to illustrate a lesson may fall under a particular arrangement. This does not, however, authorise background music in reception areas. The answers and table below explain the local differences.

No. A consumer subscription does not authorise you to play your playlist in a shop, waiting room, school or workplace. Standard Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music and YouTube Music subscriptions are intended for personal listening, even when you pay for them.

To play music at your premises, you need a service whose contract permits that use. The public performance rights applicable in your country must also be covered. These are two separate requirements. Paying public performance fees does not allow you to use a personal subscription for business purposes, and a professional music service does not necessarily include all the rights fees payable for your premises.

A consumer subscription to these platforms is not enough to authorise playback at your premises. VIP and Premium are subscription labels. They do not guarantee the right to play music for your customers, patients, visitors or staff.

As with other streaming services, the contract must permit this use and public performance rights must be covered in the country where your premises are located. Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao have separate frameworks. Their contacts appear in separate rows in the directory of organisations.

Yes, unless a local exception applies to your equipment and how you use it. A radio audible in a shop or a television playing in a waiting room goes beyond private listening. The rights fees paid by the radio station or television channel do not automatically cover playback at your premises. Turning down the volume does not, on its own, remove the obligation to pay rights fees.

Some exceptions apply to receiving radio or television broadcasts. A standalone receiver, internet radio and a signal distributed to several areas may be subject to different rules. The country notes below distinguish these situations.

Country notes

United States: exceptions may apply to receiving radio or television broadcasts, depending on floor area, equipment and use. These exceptions do not automatically apply to a playlist or a streaming subscription.

Canada, including Quebec: Entandem states that ordinary AM/FM radio reception does not require a separate music licence. This is not enough to establish an exemption for internet radio, playlists, television or redistribution of the signal.

Japan: JASRAC distinguishes direct reception of radio or television broadcasts from internet radio, recorded programmes and equipment other than a domestic receiver. The process depends on the equipment and rights concerned.

Taiwan: the intellectual property authority, TIPO, distinguishes simple reception without additional equipment from amplification or redistribution to several areas. A sound system is therefore not equivalent to a standalone radio.

Australia: OneMusic has specific arrangements for some uses of music limited to radio or television broadcasts. In these cases, rights in recordings may differ from those applicable to a playlist.

South Korea: the conditions depend, among other things, on the business activity, floor area and equipment. Thresholds for certain cafés, bars and fitness centres do not create a general exemption for all small premises.

No. Music Eye View’s service does not include public performance rights for your premises. This is not specific to Music Eye View. The party responsible for playing the music must obtain permission and pay the relevant fees. Who that is depends on the contract and the country concerned.

Our service covers developing your sonic identity, curating and programming your music, playback and support for your teams. We help you find the appropriate organisations to contact, but our service does not replace the licence your premises need.

You must contact the relevant organisations in the country where your premises are located. The table below brings together the contacts identified for 42 countries and territories, with useful information and links to their official sources.

Depending on the country, one organisation may handle several rights, or several organisations may be involved. Authors and composers hold rights in musical works; performers and producers also hold rights in recordings. The licensing process must cover the music you play and how you use it.

Where the process still needs to be confirmed, the table identifies an authority to ask for guidance without presenting it as a collecting body. The location of your premises always determines which organisations you should contact.

Find music licensing contacts by country

Only if those spaces and uses are included in the licence. Permission for the reception area does not necessarily cover the terrace, activity rooms or other spaces where music is played. A licence issued for one venue does not cover the group’s other venues. The licence must expressly cover each location and the ways music is used there.

Background music, a fitness class, an evening of dancing and a concert are different uses. Organisations determine coverage from the spaces, music sources and activities declared. Repertoire matters too: an organisation does not necessarily represent every musical work and recording you play.

Country notes

United States: the organisations represent separate repertoires. A BMI licence alone does not cover works represented by ASCAP.

Japan: some background music providers handle the JASRAC arrangements for their clients. Checking the contract helps you establish what is already covered and avoid duplicating the process.

Argentina: a hotel’s communal areas must be distinguished from private use in guest rooms. Performers’ and producers’ rights also depend on the repertoire actually played.

Tanzania: the location where music is played must be specified, as contacts may differ between mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The fees for your premises depend on the country, the type of business and how you use music. A shop, a medical practice, a school, a gym and a hotel may each fall under a different tariff. Floor area, capacity, areas where music is played, activities and, for hotels, the number of rooms may all affect the calculation.

A tariff schedule, a quote from the relevant organisations, or both will tell you the fees for rights in musical works and recordings and, where applicable, rights associated with events. These charges are payable in addition to the music service fee, except where particular rights are expressly included. You therefore cannot use a rate quoted in another country or for another type of business to estimate your own budget.

These fees help pay the authors, composers, performers and producers whose work is part of daily life at your premises.

Country notes

Malaysia: fees payable to Recording Performers Malaysia (RPM) do not represent the full amount that may be due. Depending on how you use music, you must also take into account the permissions required from Music Authors’ Copyright Protection (MACP) and Public Performance Malaysia (PPM).

United Arab Emirates: the research file dated 9 October 2026 records a ministerial announcement that new fees are due to apply from early December 2026. It therefore does not present these fees as already applicable on 9 October 2026.

Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Maldives: the research file does not confirm that a local tariff is available for calculating fees. An amount can only be established once the relevant contacts and rights have been confirmed.

No. A licence limited to background music does not cover a DJ night, a concert or an activity involving dancing. These uses must be expressly authorised before the event.

Depending on the country and contract, they may be included in a broader licence or require separate permission. The relevant organisation determines the coverage and tariff from the type of event, how often it takes place, its capacity and its admission arrangements.

The artist’s fee or the payment agreed in the DJ’s contract covers their performance. It does not settle public performance rights fees on the organiser’s behalf. Administrative permissions specific to the event may also be needed.

We help you understand the process and identify the relevant organisations, but we do not take out or pay for licences on your behalf. The party responsible for playing the music remains responsible for the application and payments, as determined by your contract.

We help you describe how you use music, whether in a shop, a waiting room, a school’s communal areas or a restaurant, or at occasional events. You can then explain to the organisations what is played, where and in what circumstances, so that you obtain appropriate coverage.

The term “royalty-free” does not, on its own, remove the need for permission to play that music at your premises. It describes a licensing model. It does not mean that the music is free of charge, in the public domain or permitted for every use.

The catalogue’s contract must authorise the intended use at your premises and in your country, and specify the rights granted in the musical works and recordings. Depending on the country and the music used, some royalties may still be payable even if the provider describes its catalogue as “royalty-free”.

The tracks available and the rights granted may also change. It is therefore the coverage in the contract, rather than the catalogue’s label alone, that determines what you can play.

That depends on the rights granted for the music concerned. The label “AI-generated” does not give you permission to play the music for business purposes or guarantee that there are no rights fees to pay. A paid subscription alone does not establish that these rights are covered.

Before using such a catalogue, you need to be able to confirm the permitted uses, the territories covered and the rights in any material used. Without this information, you cannot be confident that you have permission to play it at your premises.

At present, Music Eye View does not recommend these catalogues for its clients’ music programmes. We favour music whose rights can be documented. This position reflects our professional standards. It does not mean that all AI-generated music is prohibited.