Music Users FAQs

Yes. Our licence fees are adjusted annually in line with changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to reflect inflation and ensure fairness over time.

It doesn’t matter who within your organisation is listening to the music. What matters is that the music is being played outside of a private, domestic environment, which legally qualifies as a public performance.

Even if only your staff hear the music via TV or radio in the workplace, it still requires an IMRO Dual Music Licence to ensure you have the proper permission from copyright owners.

No, IMRO and PPI licence fees are charged on an annual basis to cover music use throughout the year. This ensures consistent and fair compensation for music creators, regardless of how long the licence is held within that period.

No. The IMRO Dual Music Licence combines both IMRO and PPI music copyrights into a single licence agreement. By law, businesses in Ireland that play music need two separate permissions:        

• One for the public performance of musical works (on behalf of composers, songwriters, and music publishers), and ·       
• One for the public performance of sound recordings (on behalf of record producers and performers).

Until recently, these licences were managed separately—IMRO handled the musical works licence, and PPI managed the sound recordings licence. However, since January 1st, 2016, both licences have been merged into the Dual Music Licence, which IMRO now administers, making it simpler and more convenient for your business.

Yes, having an IMRO Dual Music Licence is a legal requirement for all businesses that use copyright music, regardless of size.

To ensure fairness, IMRO and PPI have designed tariffs that consider the size of your business and how you use music within your premises. This means the licence fee you pay will be appropriate to your business’s scale and music usage.

The cost of an IMRO Dual Music Licence varies depending on the type and size of your premises.

To find the tariff that applies to your business, please click here to view the different premises categories and their relevant licence fees.

Yes, you do. An IMRO Dual Music Licence is required whenever you use a TV or radio in a public or business setting, even if you’re only watching or listening to news channels like Sky News or BBC News.

This is because copyright music is often included in these broadcasts—whether in the programme’s theme music, background music during reports, or in advertisements aired on the channel. To use this music legally, your business must hold the appropriate licence.

In many cases, yes. Classical and traditional music pieces are often still protected by copyright and require permission from the copyright holders for any public performance.

Copyright typically lasts for 70 years after the composer’s death, so if the music you use falls within this period, you will need an IMRO licence to play it legally in public or commercial settings.

Yes. Under Section 37(2) of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, the copyright owner’s permission is required for any public performance of their work.

When staff use their own radios in the workplace, the employer is effectively authorising the public performance of music on the business premises. Therefore, you must hold an IMRO Dual Music Licence to legally cover the use of music, regardless of who owns the device.

We understand that licensing can sometimes feel complicated, but it’s important to know that playing copyright music in public without a licence is against the law.

Under Section 140 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, businesses that use music without the proper licence could face significant penalties, including fines or other legal action.

By getting an IMRO Dual Music Licence, you’re not only staying on the right side of the law but also supporting the talented creators whose music helps make your business environment special.

We’re here to help make the process easy—so you can focus on what matters most: your business.

While some businesses may not yet have a licence, it’s important to understand that playing copyright music in public without the proper licence is against the law. An IMRO Dual Music Licence gives you the legal right to use a vast catalogue of music in your business, ensuring you’re fully compliant with copyright regulations.

By holding a licence, you support the creators—composers, songwriters, publishers, and performers—whose music helps enhance your business environment. Since January 2016, the Dual Music Licence combines permissions previously managed separately by IMRO and PPI, simplifying the process for businesses to obtain the necessary licences.

Getting Licenced not only protects your business from potential legal risks but also helps maintain a fair and vibrant music industry.

Yes. An IMRO Dual Music Licence is required for the public use of any copyright music played through mechanical means—including music played on a PC.

This applies whether you’re streaming music from services like YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, or playing downloaded tracks. If the music is used in a business or public setting, a licence is necessary to ensure you’re compliant with copyright law.

Yes, you do. IMRO and PPI licence fees are charged annually to cover the use of copyright music throughout the year, regardless of how often you actually play it.

By obtaining an IMRO Dual Music Licence, you secure the legal right to use music as much or as little as you want during the licence period—giving you peace of mind and full compliance with copyright law.

Copyright music refers to a musical work that is protected by intellectual property rights, meaning it is legally owned by its composer, songwriter, or author.

Under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, the creator of a musical work holds the exclusive right to control how their music is used by others. This includes the right to authorise its public performance – which occurs when music is played in a business, workplace, or any non-domestic setting.

If you’re using music in your business—whether it’s played through speakers, on TV or radio, streamed online, or performed live—this is considered a public performance of copyright music. In such cases, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

That’s where IMRO comes in. As a Licenced collective management organisation, IMRO grants permission on behalf of music creators, making it easy and legal for your business to enjoy the benefits of music while ensuring creators are fairly rewarded for their work.

A TV licence is a fee paid to the government that helps fund public service broadcasting in Ireland. However, it does not grant permission to publicly perform copyright music that is broadcast through your TV.

If you use a TV in your business or public space where others can hear it, you need an IMRO Dual Music Licence to legally cover the public performance of the music contained within those broadcasts. This licence ensures that the creators of the music are properly compensated for the use of their work.

Yes, you do. The vast majority of TV and radio broadcasts include copyright-protected music. Therefore, if you play TV or radio in your business or workplace, you are required to hold an IMRO Dual Music Licence.

This licence is a legal requirement for using IMRO-controlled copyright music in any public or commercial setting in the Republic of Ireland. It covers music played through TVs, radios, sound systems, computers, presentations, on-hold music, as well as live performances, discos, karaoke, and more.

Having the licence ensures your business complies with copyright law while supporting the music creators whose work you enjoy.

After a small deduction for administrative costs (approximately 14%), all of the remaining royalties collected by IMRO are distributed directly to the songwriters, composers, and music publishers whose music is used in your business.

This ensures that the creators behind the music are fairly compensated for their work, allowing them to continue producing the music that enhances customer experiences, supports brand identity, and adds value to businesses across Ireland.

IMRO is committed to transparency and fairness in how royalties are collected and paid, supporting both Irish and international music creators.

A public performance of copyright music occurs when music is played outside of a private or domestic setting – for example, in a business, workplace, venue, or any location where people gather beyond family and close friends.

This includes music played in shops, restaurants, gyms, offices, hotels, public events, or streamed in waiting areas. Under copyright law, such use requires permission from the rights holders, as it constitutes making the music available to the public.

Yes. If you use copyright music in a public setting – whether you’re a radio station, concert promoter, retail shop, hospitality venue, office, or any other type of business—you are legally required to obtain permission from the copyright holders.

Under Section 40(1) of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, making music available to the public (defined in law as any space outside the domestic environment) constitutes a public performance. As such, permission must be secured from the copyright owners, as outlined in Section 37 of the Act.

IMRO, as a registered licensing body under the Act, is authorised to grant that permission on behalf of the vast majority of music creators worldwide. The IMRO Dual Music Licence covers both the musical works and the sound recordings, offering a legal and convenient way to ensure your business is fully compliant while enjoying the many benefits of music.

Licensing: IMRO issues licences to businesses and organisations in Ireland that play music in public – this includes music played on the radio, TV, online streams, live performances, or background music in venues such as shops, restaurants, gyms, and offices.

Royalty Collection & Distribution: Once a licence fee is paid, IMRO collects these royalties and distributes them to the music creators whose works have been used. After administrative costs (approximately 14%), the remaining income is paid directly to the rights holders.

Representation: IMRO represents over 29,000 music creators, and through international agreements with other music rights societies, it also represents millions of musical works from creators around the world for use in Ireland.

Legal Authority: IMRO is a registered licensing body under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 and operates within Irish copyright law to protect the rights of music creators.

In short, IMRO ensures that music creators are fairly paid for the use of their work and that businesses can legally and confidently use music to enhance their customer and employee experience.

IMRO stands for the Irish Music Rights Organisation. It is responsible for licensing the public performance of music and collecting and distributing royalties to the music creators – songwriters, composers, and music publishers – it represents.