When do the new UAE music licensing fees take effect?

The reported tariff schedule applies from 1 December 2026. Businesses using music commercially should plan budgets and review their licensing position ahead of that date.

Which businesses are covered by the published UAE music tariff categories?

Businesses using music commercially may fall within the UAE collective music rights framework depending on the business category, nature of the music use and applicable licensing requirements. The published tariff categories reported to date cover restaurants and cafés (background music, and separately those with DJ services or entertainment), shops and commercial complexes, large shopping malls, fitness centres, hotels and floating hotels, radio stations, television channels and premium-class aviation services.

How much does a music licence cost for a restaurant in Dubai?

For background music, a restaurant or café with up to 50 seats sits in the lowest reported band at AED 1,500 per year, rising through published bands with seating capacity. Venues with DJ services or entertainment are reported on a separate, higher schedule. Final applicability and amounts are confirmed by the relevant authorised entity.

How are hotel music licensing fees calculated?

Hotels and floating hotels are assessed by star classification and room count. Smaller properties are charged on a per-room basis within the first band, while larger properties move into fixed annual amounts set by the reported schedule.

How are radio and TV music fees calculated?

Broadcasters are reported to pay a percentage of annual income: 1% for general-programme radio, 3% for music and song channels, 1% for general-programme television and 0.25% for news channels, subject to a published minimum annual tariff.

How should a UAE business prepare for the new music licensing framework?

Map each site, channel or fleet and the driver of its fee (seats, floor area, rooms or income), size the indicative annual amount, confirm the correct category (background music and DJ-led entertainment sit on different schedules), keep records of how and where music is used, and confirm the applicable licensing route and payable amount with the relevant authorised entity before the schedule takes effect.

Licensing & Compliance · Published 14 August 2026 · Last reviewed 14 August 2026

UAE Music Licensing Fees 2026: Published Tariff Guide & Fee Calculator

Published UAE music licensing tariffs reported for December 2026: indicative annual fees for restaurants, shops, malls, gyms, hotels, radio, TV and aviation, plus a preliminary fee calculator.

The short version

A national tariff for the commercial use of music is reported to take effect on 1 December 2026.
Reported annual amounts for venues broadly run from AED 1,500 at the smallest band up to published ceilings in the tens of thousands for the largest users.
Venue fees are driven by seating capacity (restaurants, cafés, aviation), floor area (shops, malls, gyms) or room count and star rating (hotels).
Broadcasters are reported to pay a percentage of annual income, subject to a published minimum tariff.
Licensing is administered through the collective management framework introduced by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

Which businesses are covered

Businesses using music commercially may fall within the UAE collective music rights framework depending on the business category, the nature of the music use and the applicable licensing requirements. The reported categories are:

Restaurants and cafés using recorded background music, charged on seating capacity
Restaurants and cafés with DJ services, entertainment clubs and the like, on a separate and higher schedule
Shops and commercial complexes, charged on floor area
Large shopping malls, for their common and shared areas
Fitness centres, charged on floor area
Hotels and floating hotels, charged by star classification and room count
Radio stations, as a percentage of annual income
Television channels, as a percentage of annual income
Premium-class aviation services, charged on applicable user seats

Published tariff tables

Amounts are in UAE dirhams and are annual unless stated otherwise, as reported by Khaleej Times on 13 August 2026.

Restaurants and cafés — background music (by seats)

1–50 seats: AED 1,500
51–100 seats: AED 2,700
101–200 seats: AED 4,800
Above 200 seats: AED 4,800 plus AED 20 for each additional seat, subject to an AED 6,000 annual maximum

Restaurants and cafés with DJ or entertainment (by seats)

1–50 seats: AED 2,500
51–100 seats: AED 3,500
101–200 seats: AED 6,500
Above 200 seats: AED 6,500 plus AED 20 for each additional seat, subject to an AED 8,000 annual maximum

Shops and commercial complexes (by floor area)

Up to 300 m²: AED 1,700
301–700 m²: AED 3,400
Above 700 m²: AED 3,400 plus AED 60 for each additional 25 m², subject to an AED 20,000 annual maximum

Large shopping malls (common areas)

First 100 m²: AED 625
Above 100 m²: AED 625 plus AED 50 for each additional 25 m², subject to an AED 50,000 annual maximum

Fitness centres (by floor area)

Up to 300 m²: AED 1,700
Above 300 m²: AED 1,700 plus AED 5 per m² above 300 m², subject to an AED 6,000 annual maximum

Hotels and floating hotels (by classification and rooms)

1–2 stars: AED 50 per room up to 50 rooms; AED 5,000 for 51–100 rooms; AED 8,000 for 101 rooms and above
3 stars: AED 120 per room up to 50 rooms; AED 12,000 for 51–100 rooms; AED 18,000 for 101 rooms and above
4–5 stars: AED 150 per room up to 50 rooms; AED 15,000 for 51–100 rooms; AED 18,000 for 101–200 rooms; AED 25,000 for 201 rooms and above

Broadcasters

General-programme radio station: 1% of annual income
Music and song radio channel: 3% of annual income
General-programme television channel: 1% of annual income
News television channel: 0.25% of annual income
Subject to a published minimum annual tariff of AED 1,700

Premium-class aviation (by applicable user seats)

1–50 user seats: AED 5,000
51–300 user seats: AED 10,000
301–500 user seats: AED 30,000
501 user seats and above: AED 30,000 plus AED 75 per seat above 500, subject to an AED 45,000 annual maximum

UAE music licensing fee calculator

The interactive calculator on this page estimates the indicative annual tariff for a single venue or a multi-location portfolio, showing the calculation breakdown for each location, applying published minimums and ceilings, and flagging categories that require manual assessment.

How to prepare before 1 December 2026

Map every site and channel, and the driver of the fee (seats, area, rooms or income).
Size the indicative annual exposure across the portfolio.
Check the category carefully: background music and DJ-led entertainment sit on different schedules.
Document where music is played, the sources used and operating hours.
Confirm the applicable licensing route and payable amount with the relevant authorised entity, and budget for it alongside trade licence renewal, VAT and corporate tax.

Frequently asked questions

When do the new UAE music licensing fees take effect?: The reported tariff schedule applies from 1 December 2026. Businesses using music commercially should plan budgets and review their licensing position ahead of that date.
Which businesses are covered by the published UAE music tariff categories?: Businesses using music commercially may fall within the UAE collective music rights framework depending on the business category, nature of the music use and applicable licensing requirements. The published tariff categories reported to date cover restaurants and cafés (background music, and separately those with DJ services or entertainment), shops and commercial complexes, large shopping malls, fitness centres, hotels and floating hotels, radio stations, television channels and premium-class aviation services.
How much does a music licence cost for a restaurant in Dubai?: For background music, a restaurant or café with up to 50 seats sits in the lowest reported band at AED 1,500 per year, rising through published bands with seating capacity. Venues with DJ services or entertainment are reported on a separate, higher schedule. Final applicability and amounts are confirmed by the relevant authorised entity.
How are hotel music licensing fees calculated?: Hotels and floating hotels are assessed by star classification and room count. Smaller properties are charged on a per-room basis within the first band, while larger properties move into fixed annual amounts set by the reported schedule.
How are radio and TV music fees calculated?: Broadcasters are reported to pay a percentage of annual income: 1% for general-programme radio, 3% for music and song channels, 1% for general-programme television and 0.25% for news channels, subject to a published minimum annual tariff.
How should a UAE business prepare for the new music licensing framework?: Map each site, channel or fleet and the driver of its fee (seats, floor area, rooms or income), size the indicative annual amount, confirm the correct category (background music and DJ-led entertainment sit on different schedules), keep records of how and where music is used, and confirm the applicable licensing route and payable amount with the relevant authorised entity before the schedule takes effect.

Sources

Regulatory framework: UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, “Collective Management in Music” Guide, issued pursuant to Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026.
Detailed tariff reference: Khaleej Times, published 13 August 2026, reporting the Ministry tariff schedule.

Indicative estimate only. Two Pillars Advisory FZCO is an independent consultancy, is not a government entity or a collective management organisation, and does not determine, issue or collect the applicable music licensing tariff. Final applicability, classification and payable amounts remain subject to confirmation by the relevant authorised entity and subsequent regulatory clarification or amendment. This article is general information and is not legal, tax or regulatory advice.