Restaurants, hotels, malls and airlines face licensing fees, while some uses are exempt
Restaurants, cafés, hotels, shopping malls, fitness centres and airlines across the UAE will come under a new music licensing fee framework from December 2026, following the launch of rules governing the commercial use of music.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism said on Tuesday that the Collective Management Guide for Music will also cover floating hotels, radio stations, television channels, concerts and similar events where the use of music is linked to copyright and related rights.
Fee brackets will vary according to the nature of the music use and the size of the economic activity, although the Ministry did not provide individual fee amounts in its announcement.
The framework was issued under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026 and is intended to standardise licensing criteria while setting out how payments linked to music rights will be collected and distributed.
Implementation will begin at the start of December, with the Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation responsible for collecting the fees and managing the associated rights.
Both organisations have received permits from the Ministry to conduct collective management activities in music, including the collection and distribution of payments to creators and rights holders in the UAE.
Licences will be issued for one year and can be renewed in accordance with the applicable rules and conditions.
The Ministry said the framework is intended to make the legal use of music clearer for businesses while improving the protection of composers, songwriters, singers, musicians, record producers and music publishers.
Several categories and uses will be exempt from the fees.
Educational and academic institutions, government entities, music used during national occasions and personal celebrations or events of a non-commercial nature will be exempt under the framework.
The Ministry may also add further categories or uses to the exemption list through subsequent decisions.
The guide also establishes a Cultural Support Fund for Music, which will receive 10% of the total amounts collected under the framework.
The fund will provide financial, technical and artistic support for music composition, production, distribution and live performances, while also supporting emerging talent and the wider music industry.
It will be overseen by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and managed through a joint committee involving representatives from the Ministry and the Ministry of Culture.
