Music licensing for bars in New York, NY.
New York City is the densest bar-and-restaurant market in the country — 25,000+ on-premises liquor licenses spread across five boroughs. PRO field reps know it, and they sweep it hard. If you serve drinks and play music, you are on a list.
What would a New York bar pay?
Enter your venue capacity. We'll estimate the monthly cost across all six PROs.
What New York bar owners are facing
Six Performing Rights Organizations. Six bills. Six portals. Six chances to get sued. The math doesn't care which city you're in.
A 200-cap bar in the Northeast received a five-figure ASCAP demand letter in 2023 for unlicensed background music — the kind that runs through every Spotify playlist in town.
Statutory damages: up to $150,000 per song. Performing Rights Organization win rate in court: virtually 100%.
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
Quotes in January, pays by March
Broadcast Music, Inc.
Quotes in April, pays by June
Society of European Stage Authors and Composers
Invite-only, negotiated rates
Global Music Rights
Direct negotiation only
Independent performing rights organization
Newer entrant, direct licensing
Independent performing rights organization
Newer entrant, direct licensing
Plus your New York on-premises liquor license is regulated by the New York State Liquor Authority (NYSLA) — and PRO field reps cross-reference those records.
Why bars in New York use Harmonis
Whether you're a New York neighborhood spot or a multi-location operator, the playbook is the same: one quote, one signature, one regular bill.
One quote, all six PROs
Tell us about your venue — capacity, music type, hours. We calculate exact fees across ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, AllTrack, and Pro Music Rights for New York venues like yours.
We pay the PROs in full
We cut the checks to all six PROs the day you sign. You stop hearing from them. Your New York license file stays clean.
One regular payment — weekly or monthly
Predictable, automatic — weekly or monthly. Quarterly plan available. We handle renewals, certificates, and any PRO follow-ups for the life of your account.
What New York operators say
I was paying six different organizations on six different schedules and still got a cease-and-desist because I missed a renewal. Harmonis took over everything in one afternoon. Haven’t thought about it since.
Bar owner, New York
150-cap restaurant & bar
My GM didn’t even know SESAC existed. We’d been paying ASCAP and BMI for years and figured we were covered. We weren’t.
Operator, New York
Two-location restaurant group
The annual lump sums were killing my January cash flow. One regular payment is what I’d been begging the PROs for since I opened.
Owner, New York
200-cap neighborhood bar
Ready to lock in New York compliance?
Get a quote in minutes, or run a free risk check first to see exactly where you stand.
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