BMI Debuts Discounted Coffee-Shop Music License To Boost Music Use
In an effort to encourage music in coffee shops, BMI has created a deeply discounted music license in cooperation with the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).
The new license will provide copyright clearance for qualifying coffee shops to perform live and recorded music at discounts of at least 30% less than BMI’s previous fee schedule.
“SCAA came to us to secure discounts for their members who provide entertainment for customers,” said Tom Annastas, BMI Vice President, Licensing. “Coffee shops are incubators for many of our performing songwriters and superstars of the future. Encouraging these businesses to offer music is an idea we support vigorously.”
Annastas said an important component of the license is SCAA’s willingness to administer it for SCAA members, triggering significant savings on BMI’s licensing expenses. He said such coffee shops previously paid about $332 per year, but the new license lowers the fee to $230 at most. The fee will be further reduced as additional SCAA businesses participate, potentially bottoming out at less than $200 annually per location.
To qualify, SCAA member businesses must have a legal occupancy of 50 persons or less, cannot serve alcohol, or charge an admission fee.
“In addition to offering an exceptional cup of coffee, specialty coffee operators provide an experience reflective of the dedication and craft,” commented Ric Rhinehart of SCAA. He continued, “In that way, music is a natural complement and an integral part of what attracts coffee drinkers to specialty. We are delighted to work with BMI and make this pairing more accessible to our members.”
For more information on the SCAA visit SCAA.org. For more information on BMI’s new SCAA coffee shop license see BMI’s SCAA Coffee Shop license page.
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