UAE Introduces Music Usage Fees for Restaurants, Cafés, Hotels, Malls and Airlines from December 2026
Businesses across the UAE that use music as part of their customer experience will come under a new licensing framework from December 2026, following the launch of the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s Collective Management in Music Guide.
The new framework covers a wide range of establishments and activities, including restaurants, cafés, shopping malls, fitness centres, hotels, floating hotels, airlines, radio stations, television channels, concerts and similar events where the use of music involves copyright and neighbouring rights.
Introduced under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026, the Guide aims to standardise music licensing and fee structures while ensuring composers, songwriters, performers, producers, publishers and other music rights holders are fairly compensated for the commercial use of their work.
Key details: The Collective Management in Music Guide was issued under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026. Fee collection begins in December 2026 and covers applicable restaurants, cafés, malls, fitness centres, hotels, floating hotels, airlines, radio stations, television channels, concerts and similar events. The authorised collecting entities are the Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation, while 10% of total collections will be directed to the Cultural Support Fund for Music.
Which UAE Businesses Will Pay Music Usage Fees?
The new framework is particularly relevant to the UAE’s hospitality, F&B, retail, aviation, media and entertainment sectors.
Music licensing fees will apply to establishments including restaurants and cafés playing music for customers, shopping malls, fitness centres, hotels and floating hotels, airlines, radio and television broadcasters, as well as concerts and similar events.
The Ministry states that fee categories will vary according to the nature of the music use and scale of the economic activity, rather than applying one universal charge to every business. Licences will be issued for a period of one year and can be renewed in accordance with the applicable requirements.
Music Fees Will Begin in December 2026
Collection of the new fees is scheduled to begin at the start of December 2026.
Two organisations authorised by the Ministry – the Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation – will be responsible for collecting the applicable fees and managing the distribution of payments to music creators and rights holders.
The UAE had already begun developing this collective rights-management infrastructure before the new Guide was announced. The Emirates Music Rights Association received the country’s first collective management licence, followed by Music Nation in June 2025.
The system is intended to make the process of managing music rights more transparent while reducing copyright infringements and creating a standardised mechanism through which commercial users can legally use protected musical works.
Who Is Exempt from the Music Fees?
Not every use of music in the UAE will attract a fee.
According to the Ministry, exemptions include educational and academic institutions, government entities, music used during national occasions, and non-commercial personal celebrations and events.
The Ministry can also introduce additional exemptions through subsequent resolutions.
This distinction means the framework is primarily focused on regulated uses of music involving copyright and neighbouring rights rather than treating every instance in which music is played in the UAE in the same way.
10% of Collections Will Support UAE Music and Culture
One of the most interesting elements of the new system is that part of the money collected will be reinvested into the country’s music ecosystem.
The Guide establishes a Cultural Support Fund for Music, with 10% of the total amounts collected allocated to financing its programmes and initiatives.
The Fund will support areas including composition, music production, distribution and live performances, while providing financial, technical and artistic assistance to creators and emerging talent.
It also aims to increase the regional and international presence of Emirati music through cultural exchange, exports and participation in international festivals and events.
Training programmes, workshops, residencies and artistic grants are also expected to form part of the initiative, alongside programmes supporting children, young people and People of Determination.
The Fund will operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and will be managed by a joint committee involving representatives from the Ministry and the Ministry of Culture.
What Does the New System Mean for UAE Businesses?
For businesses where background or featured music forms part of the customer experience, the Guide introduces a more formalised approach to music rights management.
This could be particularly relevant to the UAE’s extensive hospitality and entertainment industries, where music is routinely used across everything from restaurants and hotel lounges to gyms, retail environments and live events.
The Ministry will oversee authorised collective-management organisations and monitor compliance with UAE copyright and related-rights legislation. Its powers include carrying out on-site inspections and examining relevant records and technical and financial systems.
The Ministry will also receive complaints from rights holders, music users and other concerned parties and may seek amicable resolutions or take regulatory action where required.
Supporting the UAE’s Growing Creative Economy
Beyond introducing licensing fees, the framework forms part of a broader effort to strengthen the UAE’s music and creative industries.
The Ministry says collective management should make it easier to administer both financial and artistic rights, improve transparency in how royalties are collected and distributed, and reduce the risk of creators’ work being used without appropriate rights management.
For musicians, composers, songwriters, performers, publishers and producers, that potentially creates a clearer mechanism for receiving compensation when their work is commercially used.
For businesses, meanwhile, December 2026 becomes an important date to watch, as the new fee collection system begins across the applicable categories.
The change ultimately introduces a more structured relationship between the businesses that use music commercially and the people who create it – while directing part of the revenue generated back into developing the UAE’s music industry.
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