Published: 2026-08-11
From 1 December 2026, any UAE business that plays recorded or live music commercially, restaurants, cafes, hotels, shopping malls, gyms, airlines and event venues, will need an annual, renewable music licence. The framework was introduced by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026, and two authorised organisations, the Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA) and Music Nation, will collect the fees and distribute royalties to composers, performers and rights holders. Fee levels depend on the type of business, the size of the venue and how music is used, with live performances and DJ sets priced higher than background playback. Government entities, educational institutions and non-commercial private events are exempt, and 10% of everything collected will feed a new Cultural Support Fund for the UAE music industry. Businesses are advised to register before the December start date.
What the Ministry of Economy and Tourism announced
The framework, announced by the Ministry in July 2026 and detailed by Gulf News on 2026-08-11, formalises something the UAE market has operated without for decades: a national system of collective management for music rights. Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026 establishes the framework and a supporting Collective Management in Music Guide, which together regulate how royalties for the public performance of music are licensed, collected and distributed in the Emirates.
Under the framework, playing copyrighted music in a commercial setting requires a licence valid for one year and renewable under the applicable rules. Two organisations have received ministerial permits to run collective management activities:
- Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA), the first collective management organisation licensed in the UAE, representing composers, authors and publishers;
- Music Nation, which administers public performance and mechanical rights across the country, drawing on its partnership with the US rights giant Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI).
Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri said the framework strengthens principles of transparency and fairness in the distribution of music royalties, a signal that the UAE intends to bring its intellectual property practice in line with mature creative markets.
Who needs a licence, and who is exempt
The regime covers essentially every venue where music forms part of a commercial experience. The published list includes:
- restaurants and cafes;
- hotels and floating hotels;
- shopping malls and retail outlets;
- fitness centres and gyms;
- airlines;
- concert and event venues;
- radio stations and television channels.
Exemptions apply to government entities, educational and academic institutions, music used during national occasions, and personal celebrations or events of a non-commercial nature. The Ministry has indicated the exemption list may be expanded over time.
In practice, the dividing line is commercial use. A birthday party at home needs nothing; the same playlist in a paid venue that uses music to shape the customer experience falls inside the regime.
How the fees are structured
Exact tariff tables in AED have not yet been published. What the Ministry has confirmed is the logic of the rate card:
- fees are categorised by type of business, so a cafe, a five-star hotel and a mall sit in different brackets;
- venue size matters, larger premises pay more;
- the way music is used matters most, background playback is the base case, while live music and DJ performances carry higher charges.
A structural detail worth noting: 10% of all amounts collected under the framework will go to a Cultural Support Fund for Music, overseen jointly by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the Ministry of Culture. The fund will finance music composition, production, distribution, live performance and emerging Emirati talent, meaning hospitality venues will, in effect, co-finance the growth of the local music industry they draw on every day.
How to prepare before December 2026
The licence becomes mandatory on 1 December 2026, which leaves businesses a limited runway. Legal advisers working on the regime, including DLA Piper, recommend starting the process early rather than waiting for enforcement. A practical checklist:
- audit how your venue actually uses music: background streaming, curated playlists, resident DJs, live acts, or music in advertising and on-hold systems;
- map every outlet and premises, since fees scale with venue count and size;
- contact EMRA or Music Nation to confirm which repertoire each organisation licenses and request a fee quotation for your category;
- budget the licence into 2027 operating costs, especially for multi-outlet F&B groups, hotel operators and mall managers;
- review supplier contracts: if a third party provides your in-store music, clarify who holds the public performance licence;
- keep documentation ready, trade licence details, venue capacity and music usage description will be needed for the application.
For companies still structuring their UAE presence, licensing obligations like this one are a reminder that regulatory setup does not end with a trade licence. Our guide to company formation costs in the UAE in 2026 covers the baseline, and the music licence now joins the list of activity-specific permits to plan for.
Why this matters beyond hospitality
The music licence is part of a broader pattern: the UAE is systematically closing gaps between its regulatory framework and international standards, from mandatory e-invoicing to detailed VAT rules for digital assets. For rights holders, the new regime finally creates a legal channel to monetise public performance in one of the world’s densest hospitality markets. For venues, it converts an unmanaged legal risk, playing music without any licence, into a predictable annual operating cost.
It also matters for investors looking at the UAE creative economy. A functioning collective management system is a precondition for serious growth in music publishing, live events and streaming, and the Cultural Support Fund gives the sector a built-in reinvestment mechanism.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital helps entrepreneurs launch and run compliant businesses in the UAE. If you operate or plan a restaurant, cafe, hotel or retail concept, we can factor the music licence into your regulatory calendar alongside your trade licence, approvals and renewals. We handle company registration in mainland and free zones, licensing strategy for specific activities, and ongoing compliance support, so new obligations like this one reach you as a planned line item, not a surprise inspection. We track UAE regulatory changes daily and brief our clients before deadlines hit.
The takeaway is simple: music in UAE venues is moving from a free resource to a licensed one. The businesses that register with EMRA or Music Nation before 1 December 2026 will absorb the change as routine admin; those that wait risk starting the new regime on the wrong side of it.
FAQ
When does the UAE music licence become mandatory?
The licensing framework takes effect on 1 December 2026. From that date, businesses that play recorded or live music commercially, including restaurants, cafes, hotels, malls, gyms and airlines, need an annual, renewable licence obtained through the Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA) or Music Nation.
How much will the UAE music licence cost?
Exact tariffs in AED have not been published yet. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has confirmed the fee structure: charges depend on the type of business, the size of the venue and how music is used, with live music and DJ performances priced higher than background playback. Businesses should request a quotation from EMRA or Music Nation for their category.
Who is exempt from the UAE music licensing rules?
Government entities, educational and academic institutions, music used during national occasions, and personal celebrations or events of a non-commercial nature are exempt. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has indicated that the exemption list may be expanded.
Where does the money collected under the licence go?
Royalties are distributed to composers, performers and rights holders through EMRA and Music Nation. In addition, 10% of all collected amounts goes to a Cultural Support Fund for Music, overseen by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism together with the Ministry of Culture, which finances music production, live performance and emerging UAE talent.
