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Music, TV and Wi-Fi Licensing for Salons

Playing music in your salon feels like one of those things that should just be fine. You bought a Spotify subscription, you're paying for your internet, so what's the problem? The problem is that playing music in a business is legally different from playing it at home, and getting it wrong can cost you hundreds of pounds in backdated fees. Same goes for having a TV on and offering Wi-Fi to clients. This guide covers what licences you actually need, what they cost, and how to stay on the right side of the rules without overthinking it.

TheMusicLicence: the one you probably need

If you play any commercial music in your salon, treatment room, or even a home salon where clients can hear it, you almost certainly need TheMusicLicence.

This is a single licence that combines two separate permissions:

• PRS for Music - pays songwriters, composers and publishers
• PPL - pays record labels and performers

They used to be separate, which was confusing and annoying. Now PPL PRS Ltd sells them together as one licence. One payment, one renewal, done.

What does it actually cost?

For a typical small salon:

That works out to roughly 65p to £1.25 a day. Not nothing, but not the end of the world either.

The exact price depends on your audible area (the space where clients and staff can hear the music), the number of seats, how you play it (radio vs streaming vs TV), and whether it's background or featured music.

What happens if you don't have one?

PPL PRS can charge you the standard licence fee plus a 50% surcharge for the first year to reflect the time you were playing music without permission. If you keep refusing, they can take civil action for damages and an injunction to stop you playing music at all.

They do enforce this. Inspectors visit salons. It's not just a scare tactic.

Tip for new starters: When you first set up your salon, get TheMusicLicence sorted in your first week. It's one form, takes five minutes, and the cost is a legitimate business expense you can claim against tax. Much cheaper than the 50% surcharge if you get caught later.

"But I use Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube..."

This is the bit that catches people out.

Your personal Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube subscription is licensed for private, personal use. The terms of service for all of these platforms explicitly say you cannot use them for public or commercial performance. Playing your Spotify playlist in a salon is public performance.

So you need both:

1. Your streaming subscription (to access the music)
2. TheMusicLicence (for the right to play it in a business)

The same applies to radio. The radio station pays PRS and PPL for the right to broadcast, but that does not cover you playing that broadcast in your salon. You still need TheMusicLicence.

There are some business-specific music services (like Soundtrack Your Brand or Cloud Cover Music) that include or reduce your PRS/PPL obligations. If you go that route, get written confirmation of exactly what's covered before you cancel TheMusicLicence.

What about mobile workers and home salons?

If you work from home and clients come to you, your home salon counts as a business premises when clients are there. If music is audible to clients during treatments, you likely need TheMusicLicence.

If you go to a client's home and their radio or TV happens to be on in the background, that's their home, their music. You're not providing it. That's a grey area, but generally fine.

However, if you deliberately bring a speaker and play your own playlist as part of the service, that's treated as business use and a licence can still be required. The test is whether you are providing the music as part of your service.

Tip for new starters: If you work mobile and want to play music during treatments, the simplest approach is to ask the client if they'd like to put their own music on. That way you're not providing a public performance. If you want to bring your own speaker and playlist, factor TheMusicLicence into your costs.

TV in the salon

Having a TV on in the waiting area or treatment room is common. Here's what you need to know.

When you need a TV Licence

You need a business TV Licence (£180/year) if you:

• Show live TV on any channel
• Use BBC iPlayer (live or on demand)
• Watch live TV through streaming apps (live YouTube, live sport)

One licence covers all TVs on the premises, whether they're in the waiting area, treatment rooms, or staff room, as long as it's one business unit.

When you DON'T need one

If you only ever show pre-recorded content (Netflix, Amazon Prime, non-BBC on-demand, pre-recorded YouTube videos) and never watch live TV or BBC iPlayer, you don't technically need a TV Licence.

In practice, many salons hold one anyway because it's easy for someone to flick to live TV or open iPlayer without thinking.

TV and music rights overlap

Here's the catch: a TV Licence only covers the broadcast reception. It does not cover the music copyright when music on TV is audible in your salon. For that, you still need TheMusicLicence.

So if you have a TV playing music channels or any programme with a soundtrack that clients can hear, you need both licences.

Guest Wi-Fi for clients

Offering free Wi-Fi is a nice touch for clients. But there are a few things to think about.

Filtering

There's no law that forces small businesses to install web filters on guest Wi-Fi. But guidance says you should take reasonable steps to prevent unlawful or harmful use. In practice, that means:

• Block obvious categories (adult content, piracy sites)
• Block peer-to-peer ports
• Use a proper guest Wi-Fi setup, separate from your business network

Most business-grade routers and Wi-Fi products include basic content filtering. It's usually a setting you tick once.

GDPR and data protection

If your guest Wi-Fi collects any personal data (names, email addresses, device identifiers, browsing logs linked to an individual), you become a data controller under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

That means you need:

• A lawful basis for collecting the data (usually consent or legitimate interests)
• A privacy notice explaining what you collect, why, and how long you keep it
• Appropriate security for the data you hold
• Active opt-in for any marketing. You cannot make signing up for your mailing list a condition of using the Wi-Fi.

The simplest approach for a small salon: use a click-through page with basic terms of use, don't collect more data than you need, and keep it separate from your business network.

What if a client does something illegal on your Wi-Fi?

If a client uses your Wi-Fi for copyright infringement or other illegal activity, law enforcement traces it to your IP address first. You're not automatically liable, but you need to show you took reasonable steps.

Protect yourself by:

• Requiring a click-through with terms of use
• Logging device/MAC addresses and timestamps (your router probably does this already)
• Having basic content filtering in place

This shows you're a conduit service, not someone encouraging dodgy behaviour.

Quick cost summary

All of these are allowable business expenses. Claim them against your tax.

Common mistakes

"I only play the radio, so I don't need a licence." Wrong. The radio station's licence covers their broadcast. It does not cover you playing that broadcast in a business.

"My Spotify is a business account." A Spotify Premium account is still for personal use. Even Spotify's "Premium for Business" pages direct you to get TheMusicLicence separately.

"I work from home so it doesn't count." If clients come to your home and can hear the music, it counts. Your home becomes business premises during appointments.

"Nobody has ever checked." PPL PRS do send inspectors to salons. They also monitor social media, so posting a reel of your salon with music playing is essentially advertising that you need a licence.

Who to Contact

• PPL PRS Ltd (TheMusicLicence) - apply, check costs, or query your licence - pplprs.co.uk or 0800 090 2332 (Free)
• TV Licensing - buy or manage a business TV Licence - tvlicensing.co.uk or 0300 790 6113 (Free)
• ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) - GDPR and data protection queries - ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113 (Free)
• Citizens Advice - general business queries - 0800 144 8848 (Free)

Sources

• PPL PRS Ltd, TheMusicLicence tariff tables 2025/26, pplprs.co.uk
• TV Licensing, Business TV Licence guidance, tvlicensing.co.uk
• ICO, Guide to UK GDPR for small organisations, ico.org.uk
• Data Protection Act 2018
• UK GDPR (retained EU law)

Related Guides

• Home-Based Beauty Business
• Allowable Expenses: What You Can Claim
• GDPR for Beauty Workers
• Setting Up Record Keeping

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