Using a personal music service like Spotify in your business is increasingly common these days. But what most people don’t realize is that using Spotify in a commercial environment is actually illegal. Often business owners end up finding out the hard way, with a court case or fine. Not only does using a personal music service violate Spotify’s terms of use, but it is also a violation of national copyright law to play unlicensed music in a business.

If I Can’t Play Spotify, Now What?

So what can a business owner who uses Spotify do? First, when you’re ready to get legal, switch to a licensed music service. However, you might worry that you won’t be able to use your personalized Spotify playlists anymore. There are a few music-for-business providers that potentially offer a way to import or copy Spotify playlists. That means you don’t have to start over picking songs. But don’t be too quick to trust those claims that you can link your Spotify account to a licensed-for-business service. You’ll probably be disappointed with the results.

Due to music licensing restrictions and the nature of music for business services, no provider is going to have exactly the same song library and offerings as are available on Spotify. If you look closely at the fine print from a lot of these providers, you’ll see that they never guarantee a 100% match on the songs from your imported playlists. One such service touts, “generally, we will have 100% of Top 100 music”. But then, we read that “more obscure music will sync ~50% of the songs over.” That might be acceptable if all of the songs you want to play are chart-toppers. But, if you’re the kind of business looking to import your own playlists for a customized sound, less than 100% is simply not going to get the job done. 

Read the Fine Print To See if You’ll Get Your Music

Read a bit further into these other music services that offer importing Spotify playlists for business music. You’ll likely see that a 50% match is the best you can actually rely on. That might not seem so bad. However, think about the number of songs on your playlists that you’ve painstakingly put together just for your business environment. If the playlist you listen to on Fridays is four hours long, then your “matched” playlist will only give you two hours of music! Even worse, some services take it a step further. After they cut out half of the songs you picked, hundreds of songs will be added that you didn’t ask for. It’s their way to keep the new playlist about the same size as the original list. At that point, is it really your playlist anymore?

At Custom Channels, we’re music lovers, too. We understand the convenience that Spotify offers. However, we’re also committed to ensuring that business owners become educated in regards to how their music decisions can put them at legal risk. Spotify (like Apple Music and YouTube) are not licensed for public play in businesses. Also, we believe that the allure of importing Spotify playlists into a music for business service can be a marketing ploy that, frankly, is very difficult to deliver. Our company is built from the ground up to deliver the best music for business. We’re proud of our services and of the sound. So we’re gladly transparent about our offerings and our ability to provide you with what you’re looking for.

We Have Access to All the Music in the World

If you’re reading this because you’re searching for a licensed music for business service but have trouble letting go of those Spotify playlists you’ve created, we’re here to help! Our team of music experts can help you build playlists that are the perfect fit for your business. You may want to make your own playlists with our customizable ReMix service. Or enlist our knowledgeable music programmers with our full-service Ethos solution. And you can always rest easy that all of the songs and styles you select are fully licensed and appropriate for business.

At Custom Channels, we have experience. Experience to know that false promises of convenience (like importing Spotify playlists for use in business) pale in comparison to the rock-solid platform and reliable customer service that a great team like ours can provide. And we do it for businesses of all types and sizes.