The holidays are the busiest, most magical, and most musical time of the year. Customers expect carols, cheer, and festive energy when they walk into your business. 

But if you’re streaming from Spotify or Apple Music, your playlist could turn from “Jingle Bells” to “Jingle Bills”...fast.

How? 

Why Music Licensing Matters During the Holidays

Unfortunately, consumer music apps are really only meant for private use. When you play them publicly or in a place of business, you may be “performing” copyrighted works without permission or the proper music licensing. Performing rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI, GMR, and SESAC can assess, pursue, and even fine small businesses for this. And they do.

Let’s make sure your music is licensed for business use. Here’s why it matters and how Pandora CloudCover can keep you festive — and compliant — all season long.

Behind every holiday song is a web of rights holders: artists, songwriters, publishers, and labels. Business music licenses exist to help ensure everyone gets paid when their songs are used in public spaces.

If you’re not covered, you could face demand letters, fines, or even lawsuits. And the holidays are a prime time for enforcement, as music use spikes and consumer streaming violations are easier to spot.

The Real Cost of Unlicensed Music

That $9.99/month app subscription for personal use doesn’t cover business use. Playing music via consumer-only apps at work can lead to fines ranging from $750 to $150,000 per song.

Don’t Believe Us? Real Life Examples

Example 1: A Restaurant Tastes Reality

A chicken and waffle restaurant case also showed how damages can add up. In 2012 the United States Court of Appeals for  the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) upheld infringement liability against the restaurant chain when it allowed a live performance of jazz songs by a musical group and also played recordings of copyrighted songs without negotiating a license with ASCAP.

The district court granted summary judgment to the plaintiffs, awarding $36,000 for eight counts of copyright infringement and attorneys’ fees of $162,000.

Example 2: Bloomington Nightclub Sings the Blues

In 2025, BMI and other PROs continued to bring suits against clubs and bars for repeated unlicensed performances. At least one nightclub was sued for copyright infringement as part of a new batch of lawsuits cracking down on legally playing live and karaoke music.

A single violation can wipe out your holiday profits — and the reputational damage isn’t something you can wrap up and forget.

Keep Your Holiday Soundtrack Legal with Pandora CloudCover

Don’t risk finding a lawsuit under your tree this year.

Pandora CloudCover makes it easy to stream the perfect holiday playlist without worrying about copyright issues.

• 🎶 Fully licensed holiday tunes, ad-free and family friendly for business use
• 💻 Easy controls to select stations, volume, and scheduling, from a single device
• 📢 Messaging and signage to keep customers informed and engaged of holiday promotions
• 💰 Affordable monthly plans built for small and growing businesses

Whether you’re welcoming shoppers, entertaining diners, or keeping employees sane, Pandora CloudCover helps your business sound festive and professional, with no worries about whether your music was legally licensed.

Make This Season Bright (and Legal)

The holidays are hectic enough. Don’t let unlicensed music add stress — or lawsuits — to your list.

Switch to Pandora CloudCover and keep your holiday music merry, licensed, and worry-free. Try it free for 14 days in any of your locations. No credit card required. Terms and conditions apply. 

References

Chicken, Waffles and Copyrights—Ninth Circuit Upholds Infringement of Public Performance Rights by Restaurant Chain. (February 2012). The National Law Review.

Six Strings Club sued for copyright infringement, accused of playing music without a license. (January 2025). WGLT.org. NPR Network.

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