How to Choose a Background Music Service for Your NZ Business (2026)

How to Choose a Background Music Service for Your NZ Business (2026)The questions to ask any background music service before your business relies on it: licensing, hardware, contracts and day-to-day reliability.Published: 2026-10-23 | Section: Cafe & Dining1. Your Options at a GlanceA New Zealand business that wants background music usually ends up with one of these:

Radio: easy to start, but it brings advertisements and talk, and you have no control over what plays.

A personal streaming subscription: OneMusic NZ's FAQs say that paying for a subscription service does not give you permission to play music in a business setting (OneMusic FAQs).

A business music service: a supplier that streams music for business premises, often with scheduling and multi-site control, usually on a subscription.

Music licensed directly by its owner: music whose copyright owner licenses businesses to play it. Lobby Tones is one example, and it covers its own catalogue only.

For radio, CDs and most commercially released music, the permission you need comes from a OneMusic NZ licence.2. Licensing: the Question to Ask FirstPlaying music in a business is a public performance under the Copyright Act 1994, and it needs permission from the people who own the music (OneMusic NZ: the law). OneMusic NZ, the joint licensing initiative of APRA AMCOS and Recorded Music NZ, grants that permission for music in its repertoire (why businesses need a licence). Buying music or paying for a personal streaming subscription does not give you that permission (OneMusic FAQs).Permission can also come directly from the copyright owner. The Lobby Tones terms of use give a business a licence to stream the Lobby Tones catalogue from lobbytones.com and play it in premises it operates. That covers the Lobby Tones catalogue only: radio, other streaming services and live music are outside it. Whether you can reduce or cancel a OneMusic licence is a question about your business, between you and OneMusic, which publishes a licence cancellation request form. This is general information, not legal advice.OneMusic notes that a background music supplier may not cover the public performance requirement (OneMusic's page on music suppliers). So the first question for any supplier is:"Does your licence cover public performance in New Zealand, or will I still need a OneMusic licence for the music you supply?"Get the answer in writing, and check it against the supplier's own terms.3. Cost: Look at the Whole YearCompare the full cost of each option over twelve months, not just the headline monthly price:

the subscription itself, per location;

any hardware player you must buy or rent;

any OneMusic licence you still need alongside it (onemusicnz.com has a fee calculator);

the minimum contract term and what it costs to leave early.

4. Hardware and SetupSome services need a dedicated player box; others run in an app or a web browser. Ask what happens if the device fails, whether you can use the phone, tablet or computer you already have, and whether it keeps playing with the screen locked.5. ContractsRead the minimum term, notice period and renewal terms before you sign. A month-to-month arrangement is easier to change if your needs change.6. Day-to-Day Reliability

Connection drops: does the music stop the moment Wi-Fi blips, or does the player cache ahead?

Volume: are tracks loudness-matched, or will staff be reaching for the volume knob?

Gaps: do tracks run into each other, or is there silence between songs?

Adverts: does anything play between songs?

7. Music That Suits the RoomMany businesses prefer instrumental music: lyrics compete with conversation and with staff who are concentrating, and a short playlist on repeat wears on staff over a long shift. Check how large a service's catalogue is for the kind of space you run.8. Where Lobby Tones FitsLobby Tones is a free web app that plays continuous instrumental background music for physical premises:

Licence: the music is produced by Lobby Tones, and the terms of use licence a business to stream it from lobbytones.com and play it in premises it operates. It covers the Lobby Tones catalogue only.

Cost and contract: free, with no account and no contract.

Hardware: runs in a browser on a phone, tablet or laptop, and keeps playing with the screen locked.

Reliability: the next track is cached so a brief drop does not stop the music, tracks are loudness-matched, and they crossfade into each other.

Catalogue: about 20 hours of original instrumental music across six spaces and 36 moods.

It does not offer scheduling, multi-site management or a music request feature. If you need those, they are good questions to put to a business music service.9. Guides for Your Industry

The Complete Guide to Background Music for New Zealand Small Businesses

Cafe & Restaurant Music Licensing in New Zealand

Retail Store Acoustic Atmosphere in New Zealand

Healthcare & Medical Clinic Acoustic Privacy in New Zealand

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a business music streaming service cover public performance in New Zealand?

Not necessarily. OneMusic NZ notes that a background music supplier may not cover the public performance requirement. Ask any supplier in writing whether their licence covers public performance in New Zealand.

Can I play my personal streaming subscription in my business?

OneMusic NZ's FAQs say that buying music or paying for a subscription service does not give you the permission you need to play music in a business setting. Check the terms of the service you use as well.

Do you need a licence to play music in a business in New Zealand?

Playing music in a business is a public performance under the Copyright Act 1994 and needs the copyright owner's permission. OneMusic NZ, the joint licensing initiative of APRA AMCOS and Recorded Music NZ, licenses the music in its repertoire. Permission can also come directly from the copyright owner: the Lobby Tones terms of use licence a business to stream the Lobby Tones catalogue and play it in premises it operates. That covers the Lobby Tones catalogue only, and whether you can change a OneMusic licence is between you and OneMusic.

What does Lobby Tones cover?

Lobby Tones is free to use with no account. Its terms of use give a business a licence to stream the Lobby Tones catalogue from lobbytones.com and play it in premises it operates. It covers that catalogue only, and it is not legal advice about your other music.

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