Written by Kimberley Garlick, PAA President
Based on a professional discussion with Jose Horn about music licensing for Pilates and fitness businesses in Australia.
Music is woven into the experience of many Pilates studios. It can establish atmosphere, help instructors create energy and flow, and contribute to the overall experience clients associate with a studio.
But there is an important business question sitting behind the playlist:
If we play music in a Pilates studio, what are we actually required to pay for?
For many studio owners, music licensing can feel confusing. Questions arise around Spotify and Apple Music, instructors bringing their own playlists, clinical versus group Pilates, class numbers, licensing costs and even what happens if a studio has been playing music without the appropriate licence.
In a recent discussion with Jose Horn, we unpacked some of these questions from the perspective of Australian Pilates businesses.
The conversation highlighted something particularly important: rather than becoming frightened by the subject or relying on information circulating within the industry, studio owners are better served by understanding how their particular business operates and asking questions early.
Not Every Pilates Studio Is the Same
One of the most useful points to emerge from our conversation was that music licensing cannot necessarily be reduced to a single price that applies to every Pilates business.
A small clinical Pilates practice using background music is very different from a high-volume group reformer studio running numerous music-supported classes every day.
Jose described different licensing scenarios, with indicative examples ranging from approximately $600–$700 for a background-music-type situation, through to around $2,000 for a smaller class-based operation, and potentially around $4,000 for a very active, larger class-based business.
These figures arose as examples during our discussion rather than a current pricing schedule, so studio owners should confirm the licence and current fees applicable to their own circumstances directly with the licensing organisation.
The important principle is that how you use music matters.
Class size, the number of classes being delivered and the nature of the business can all affect which licensing arrangement is appropriate.
Jose also discussed an all-inclusive option for larger or more active businesses. Once a business reaches a certain level of activity, this may make more sense than paying according to individual categories of use.
The “10 Reformer” Question
A particularly relevant issue for contemporary Pilates studios is class size.
During our discussion, we explored the example of studios operating with more than 10reformers. Jose explained that once classes move beyond that size, the combination of larger classes and a busy timetable can cause licensing fees to increase relatively quickly.
A studio with 12, 14 or more reformers that also runs a substantial number of classes each week is therefore operating in a very different environment from a practitioner seeing individuals or small clinical groups.
This is why owners should avoid assuming that another studio’s licence or fee automatically applies to them.
Your business model matters.
“How Would Anyone Know What Music We’re Playing?”
This is a question people may think but feel uncomfortable asking.
Jose explained that OneMusic Australia has several ways of understanding how businesses are operating. These can include looking at businesses’ online presence, communicating directly with businesses and drawing on their knowledge of thousands of fitness businesses.
He also explained that field representatives can provide information from the marketplace when necessary, although he characterised this as a later rather than preferred avenue.
The broader lesson for studio owners is straightforward: trying to remain invisible isn’t a particularly useful business strategy.
Understanding your obligations and having the conversation is.
What Happens If You Don’t Have the Appropriate Licence?
This is an area where industry rumours can become frightening very quickly.
During our discussion, Jose explained that using protected music without the necessary licence can constitute copyright infringement.
However, he also described a process in which businesses would generally be approached about obtaining the appropriate licence before a matter progressed further.
The difficulty with avoiding those conversations is that, if an issue eventually progresses into a legal process, costs can become substantially more complicated. There may be licensing fees relating to an earlier period as well as potential legal costs.
In other words, something that might have been managed relatively simply can become a much larger business issue when it remains unresolved.
That distinction matters because there can be a perception within our industry that a studio owner is simply going to receive an enormous fine without warning.
My own experience has been quite different.
When our Lismore studio was affected by the devastating floods, I contacted the organisation about our circumstances. Our arrangements were paused, we were treated with understanding, and we were given some breathing room while the business recovered.
That experience reinforced something for me:
Having the conversation early is far better than becoming frightened of having the conversation at all.
What If My Studio Can’t Afford the Licence?
This was another question I felt was important to ask openly.
Jose explained that billing is now generally monthly, effectively spreading licensing costs across the year. He also said that businesses experiencing financial hardship can discuss their circumstances with the relevant credit team.
But he made another valuable point.
Using commercial copyright music is a choice.
A Pilates studio does not have to use music.
Depending on the business, there may also be alternative music options involving lower fees or potentially no licensing fees of this kind.
That invites a useful business question:
How important is commercial music to the experience we are actually trying to create?
For some studios, it may be central to their brand. For others—particularly highly clinical, rehabilitation-focused or individually programmed environments—music may be far less important.
Licensing therefore belongs in the same category as other operating expenses: understand the cost, understand the value it provides, and make a deliberate decision.
Spotify, Apple Music and Commercial Music Services
This is probably where some of the greatest confusion exists.
Paying for a personal music streaming subscription is not necessarily the same thing as obtaining the permissions associated with playing protected music in a business.
During our conversation, Jose noted that Apple Music does not have an equivalent commercial version, while Spotify has a commercial offering associated with Soundtrack Your Brand, which he described as the preferred type of approach for a business environment.
He also explained an important nuance around ordinary streaming services: businesses need to consider both the music licensing requirements and the streaming provider’s own terms of use.
In Australia, he explained that OneMusic can provide a digital or “top-up” licensing mechanism in relevant circumstances. Nevertheless, his preference was for businesses to use services specifically designed for commercial environments because they are better structured for business use.
This is an area where studio owners should seek current information before making decisions, because streaming platforms, terms and licensing arrangements can change.
What About Instructors Who Bring Their Own Playlists?
This is enormously relevant to Pilates.
A studio might have ten instructors and ten completely different ways of accessing music.
One instructor has Spotify. Another has Apple Music. Someone else arrives with playlists stored on their phone.
From the studio owner’s perspective, it can feel impossible to monitor.
But Jose made an important distinction: the business operating the premises can still carry responsibility for what happens under its roof.
Simply saying, “That was the instructor’s Spotify account,” does not necessarily remove the issue from the studio.
There can be different arrangements where an independent instructor hires a genuinely separate space—for example, a community hall or recreation centre—and holds their own licence. There may also be particular circumstances involving a clinical studio renting a room to a third-party instructor.
However, studio owners should not automatically assume that engaging someone as a contractor transfers responsibility for music use to that person.
For studios where multiple employees and instructors regularly bring their own playlists, Jose suggested that an appropriate digital licence—or an all-inclusive licence where applicable—can provide a much simpler solution.
Where Does the Licensing Money Go?
It is easy to think about licensing solely as another studio expense, but there is another side to the system.
Jose explained that APRA represents approximately 130,000 Australian songwriter members as well as international rights holders through reciprocal arrangements around the world.
He also explained that APRA AMCOS and OneMusic distribute approximately 87 cents in the dollar, with systems designed to direct royalties back towards rights holders, songwriters and publishers.
Technology is increasingly helping with this process.
Jose described a device called Ordo, which can identify music being played in a business in a way comparable to real-time song recognition. Rather than recording conversations, he described it as identifying song information so that music-use data can assist with royalty distribution.
The underlying principle is worth remembering:
The licence isn’t simply permission to press play. It is part of the system through which people who create and own music are compensated for its commercial use.
What Pilates Studio Owners Should Take Away From This
There are several practical lessons I believe every studio owner should consider.
First, don’t assume your studio is the same as the studio down the road. A clinical practice, a six-bed reformer studio and a large group-fitness-style Pilates business may have very different music use.
Second, know what your instructors are doing. If employees and contractors bring their own playlists into your business, music use should form part of your operational policies and onboarding conversations.
Third, separate the streaming subscription from the music licence question. Paying Spotify or another streaming provider does not automatically answer every question about commercial use.
Fourth, review the economics. Music is a business choice. If licensing costs become difficult, examine whether you need commercial music, whether an alternative music source is appropriate, or whether a different licensing arrangement better reflects your operation.
And finally, ask before assuming.
Social media discussion and conversations between studio owners can be valuable for raising questions, but they shouldn’t replace advice about your actual business circumstances.
A Better Conversation for Our Industry
What I appreciated most about this discussion was the opportunity to remove some of the fear surrounding music licensing.
Studio owners should absolutely understand their legal and commercial responsibilities. At the same time, those responsibilities become much easier to deal with when we can ask sensible questions without feeling embarrassed, defensive or frightened about what the answer might be.
Pilates businesses have changed enormously. We now have everything from highly clinical one-to-one environments to large reformer studios delivering back-to-back group classes.
Our understanding of the business structures supporting those studios needs to evolve too.
So perhaps the most useful question isn’t:
“Do Pilates studios have to pay for music?”
It is:
“How is music being used in my particular Pilates business, and what is the appropriate way to manage that use?”
That is a much better place to begin.
Important note
This article is an educational summary of a professional discussion concerning music use and licensing in Australian Pilates and fitness businesses. It is not legal advice, and licensing arrangements, prices, streaming-service terms and regulatory requirements can change. Studio owners and instructors should confirm current requirements with OneMusic Australia and/or obtain appropriate professional advice for their individual circumstances before making business decisions.
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