Guide · France
SACEM licence for bars and restaurants in France
A SACEM licence for bars and restaurants in France is needed as soon as you play music for your guests, whether through a sound system, radio, TV or screens. Ordinary background music is declared to SACEM, which also collects the SPRE fair remuneration for recorded music; bars and restaurants with a real musical ambiance follow different rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
In short
- Two remunerations: SACEM for songwriters, composers and publishers, SPRE for performers and record producers
- For background music in a café or restaurant, SACEM also collects the SPRE share on SPRE’s behalf
- Bars and restaurants with musical ambiance have their own SACEM contract and declare to SPRE directly
- Declaring before you install the sound system gives a reduced tariff
- SkafRemix plays your own licensed music; the licences stay with your venue
SACEM and SPRE: two rights behind every song you play
SACEM (Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique) licenses the authors’ rights in the music: the people who wrote and composed the songs, and their publishers. When you play commercially released recordings in public, French law also gives performers and record producers a right to a “rémunération équitable” (fair remuneration), collected by SPRE and shared equally between the two groups (Article L214-1 of the Intellectual Property Code).
For this second right you do not ask the performers for permission: the law authorises the use, and you pay the remuneration. For ordinary background music, SPRE has mandated SACEM to invoice and collect it, which is why a café or restaurant always makes its prior declaration to SACEM.
Background music, musical ambiance or event: which case applies
The rules depend on the role music plays in your venue. The official pages distinguish three cases.
| Your case | Who collects | What the amount depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Background music (sonorisation) in a café, bar or restaurant | SACEM, which also collects the SPRE remuneration on SPRE’s behalf | Seated places (including a terrace if it has sound) and the population of the commune; a specific flat rate applies in Paris |
| Bar or restaurant with musical ambiance: amplified music creates the atmosphere of the business, as in dancing bars | A specific SACEM contract; SPRE collects its remuneration directly | Mainly the venue’s annual receipts |
| Occasional event: concert, soirée dansante, ball | SACEM, with an authorisation for the event | The event itself; request the matching authorisation on SACEM’s site |
No amounts on purpose: tariffs change. For current figures use SACEM’s tariffs, a quote in your client account or your regional delegation.
How to declare music in a bar or restaurant in France
The procedure as described by SACEM, SPRE and service-public.fr:
Define your case
Background music only, a venue with musical ambiance, or regular events? The answer decides which contract and which tariff apply.
Gather the details
Number of seated places (including any terrace with sound), the commune, your opening periods (seasonal or all year) and how music is played: sound system, radio, TV or screens.
Declare before installing the sound
Request the authorisation online on the SACEM client site (“Effectuer une déclaration”) or through a SACEM regional delegation. Declaring in advance, before the equipment is installed, gives a reduced tariff.
Receive the invoice and pay
For background music, SACEM invoices its own rights and the SPRE remuneration. Your client account shows authorisations, invoices and saved quotes.
Musical ambiance: also declare to SPRE
A bar or restaurant with musical ambiance declares its receipts on the SPRE portal, within four months after the end of its financial year.
Events: one authorisation each
For a concert, a soirée dansante or a ball, request the matching SACEM authorisation before the date.
When to update your declaration
Tell SACEM (and SPRE if you declare to it directly) when something that drives the tariff changes:
- More seated places, or a terrace that now has sound
- A move to another address or commune
- Music becomes the atmosphere of the venue: DJ nights, dancing, amplified music at the centre of the evening
- New occasional events such as concerts or soirées dansantes
- New ways of playing music, for example screens with music videos
- Seasonal opening instead of all year, or the other way round
- A new operator or company running the venue
Checklist for your bar or restaurant
- Your case is clear: background music, musical ambiance or events
- Declaration made to SACEM, ideally before the sound system is installed
- SPRE covered: through SACEM for background music, directly on the SPRE portal for musical ambiance
- Seats and terrace in the declaration match the venue as it is today
- Each concert or soirée dansante has its own authorisation
- Music comes from a source licensed for business use, not a personal streaming account
- Contract, invoices and authorisations kept in your SACEM client account
Personal streaming, professional services and SkafRemix
Personal streaming subscriptions are licensed for private use; their terms usually exclude playing music to guests in a business. Professional background-music services exist with their own terms, so check what they include and what SACEM and SPRE still expect from you.
SkafRemix supplies no commercial music. It plays your venue’s own licensed music, plans the flow of the evening and keeps playing locally on the Edge box even without internet. Your SACEM and SPRE declarations stay with your venue; tell SACEM if SkafRemix changes how you use music, for example with screens or karaoke events.
Official sources
Pages checked on 2 October 2026. Tariffs and conditions can change; the official pages are authoritative.
- Service-public.fr: Diffuser de la musique dans un commerce (Sacem) French government summary: SPRE mandate, café and restaurant criteria, prior declaration, reductions.
- SACEM: Autorisations de diffusion Search and request an authorisation, including events such as soirées dansantes.
- SACEM: Vos services Online client account: authorisations, invoices, saved quotes.
- SPRE: Cafés et restaurants SACEM collects the fair remuneration on SPRE’s behalf; criteria are seated places and population.
- SPRE: Bars et restaurants à ambiance musicale Definition and direct declaration to SPRE based on receipts.
- Légifrance: Article L214-1, Code de la propriété intellectuelle Legal basis of the fair remuneration for performers and producers.
Related guides
Questions and answers
Does a restaurant in France need SACEM for background music?
Yes: as soon as music is played for guests, including radio or TV, the restaurant must declare it to SACEM beforehand. For ordinary background music, SACEM also collects the SPRE remuneration, so this one declaration covers both.
What is the difference between SACEM and SPRE?
SACEM collects authors’ rights for songwriters, composers and publishers; SPRE collects the fair remuneration for performers and record producers. For background music in cafés and restaurants, SPRE has mandated SACEM to collect its share.
How is the SACEM amount for a bar or restaurant calculated?
For background music it depends mainly on the number of seated places, including a terrace with sound, and on the population of the commune, with a specific flat rate in Paris. Venues with musical ambiance are charged mainly on their receipts; use SACEM’s official tariffs for current amounts.
When is a venue a “bar à ambiance musicale”?
When it plays amplified music to create an atmosphere that supports its business, as dancing bars do. These venues have a specific SACEM contract and declare their receipts to SPRE directly.
Do I need a separate authorisation for a soirée dansante or a concert?
In general, yes: occasional events such as concerts, soirées dansantes or balls have their own SACEM authorisation, requested for each event. Your background-music contract does not cover them.
Does SkafRemix include the SACEM licence?
No. SkafRemix plays your venue’s own licensed music; SACEM and SPRE declarations and payments stay with your venue.
Music that fits your licences and your evening
Tell us how your bar or restaurant uses music. We set up SkafRemix around it; for licences, SACEM remains your contact.
Tell us about your venue · we get back to you personally to plan sound, nights and pilot scope · no obligation