Stadium Music Licensing – Time for a Smarter Approach?

As the sporting calendar eases into summer, it's time for many stadium operators to use the off-season to review, renew, and renegotiate their music licences. For some, it’s a straightforward process, for others — it’s anything but.

Don't pay for empty seats

At My Music Solutions, we’ve spent the last few months speaking with many new and existing stadium clients across the UK and one thing is clear: the way music licensing is currently structured for stadiums isn’t working as well as it should — and it’s costing venues time, money, and clarity.

Here are just a few of the recurring issues we’ve been talking about:

Paying for the Crowd Before They Arrive

From this year, some music licences now charge by the hour and link those charges to total stadium attendance. But here’s the problem: crowds don’t arrive all at once.

Our analysis of Premier League clients shows that, at one hour before kick-off, seating is often only 10–30% occupied. Yet stadiums are being charged as if they’re full from the first moment music is played. That’s not just inefficient — it’s unfair.

From Simple Declarations to Complex Reporting

Where licensees could once tick a box to declare if a type of music was used, they’re now being asked to track exact timings and durations — across multiple zones, types of music, and varying crowd sizes.

This creates significant admin burden, and the return on that complexity is questionable at best. Most stadium operators aren’t set up for that level of reporting — nor should they need to be.

Hospitality Areas Treated Like Full-Time Restaurants

Many stadiums have hospitality lounges that operate on matchdays only. But the licensing model often assumes year-round, daily operation — like a city-centre restaurant. The result? Clubs are being charged as if they serve 365 days a year, when in reality it might only be 20–30 events per season.

Surely a more proportional, stadium-specific approach makes sense.

Smarter Models Are Possible

We’ve proposed alternatives. For example, larger fixed usage brackets with multipliers for longer periods — simple, scalable, and fair. We’ve also recommended that hospitality usage be brought under a tailored stadium licence rather than bolted on via unrelated tariffs.

These changes wouldn’t just help large football clubs — they’d improve fairness and reduce admin for stadiums and sporting venues of all sizes across the UK.

Now Is the Perfect Time to Review

Summer is when most licences come up for renewal — so now’s the time to take a look. No matter the size and sport, if you're looking to reduce costs, it pays to understand whether the current model reflects your actual usage.

We offer this review at no cost. No fees, no obligations — just sound advice.

If you think your licence could be working harder for your stadium, get in touch. We’re here to help — and we’re already working with a growing group of venues looking to bring about smarter, fairer licensing across the board.

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