Today's Edition
TAARIQ HALIM (ABU DHABI)
From December 2026, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls and other commercial venues in the UAE will be required to pay annual licence fees to play music at their establishments.
This is according to a new Ministry of Economy and Tourism regulatory framework, introduced to govern the commercial use of music across the country.
The Collective Management in Music Guide, issued under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026, sets out how music copyright is to be licensed and monitored nationwide.
The framework covers a broad range of commercial settings including restaurants and cafés, hotels, shopping malls, fitness centres, and gyms, airlines, radio stations and television broadcasts, concerts, and other live cultural events.
Businesses in these categories will need to obtain a renewable one-year licence to play music commercially.
Non-commercial establishments - schools, academic institutions, government entities, charity events and national celebrations - are exempt.
Fees and Rules
Fee collection will begin on December 1, 2026. Licences will run for a year and can be renewed under the applicable rules.
Two ministry-licensed bodies will administer the system: the Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA) and Music Nation. Both organisations have been awarded collective management permits - EMRA was licensed in April 2025 and Music Nation in June 2025 - and will be responsible for collecting fees and distributing royalties to composers, songwriters, singers, musicians, record producers and music publishers.
The ministry has not published specific fee amounts. Instead, charges will follow a sliding scale based on the size of the business and the nature of the music use. For example, live performances and DJ sets are expected to attract higher fees than recorded background music.
Supporting Local Artists
The guide establishes a Cultural Support Fund for Music, which will receive 10% of all fees collected.
Overseen jointly by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the Ministry of Culture, the fund is intended to:
• Support emerging musical talent, including children, youth and people of determination;
• Help promote Emirati music internationally through export support, cultural exchange and participation in global festivals;
• Provide financial, technical and artistic support to musicians at all stages of production
Compliance and Enforcement
The ministry said it will monitor licensed collective management organisations for compliance with the UAE’s Copyright and Neighbouring Rights law, including through field inspections and reviews of financial and technical records.
It will field complaints from rights holders and other stakeholders, aiming to resolve disputes amicably before resorting to regulatory action.
The ministry has reserved the right to amend licence terms where regulatory necessity or public interest requires it, with licensees expected to comply immediately.
Sustaining the Creative Economy
Officials framed the guide as part of a broader drive to build an integrated national system for copyright governance in music, aligned with the UAE’s Vision 2031 and the National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries.
The goals are to standardise licensing fees, reduce copyright violations, and bring the UAE’s music sector in line with international best practices - while ensuring composers, performers and producers are fairly compensated for commercial use of their work.
Businesses are advised to: budget for the annual licence fee starting from December 2026; expect the cost to scale with business size and the type of music used; and adhere to guidelines EMRA and Music Nation as tariff schedules are finalised.
