Music is an integral part of many cafes and restaurants. However, under the Intellectual Property Law, these establishments must pay royalties for using works for business and commercial purposes.
Currently, intermediary organizations like the Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC) and the Recording Industry Association of Vietnam (RIAV) are authorized to grant usage rights for numerous domestic and international works. Therefore, owners can contact them to sign contracts and pay music usage fees.
According to Decree 17/2023, as amended and supplemented by Decree 134/2026, the music royalty payable is determined by the following general formula:
| Annual royalty = (Base salary × Adjustment factor) × Regional application rate |
The adjustment factor is determined by the business establishment's capacity, area, or number of rooms. The adjusted base salary, effective from 7/2026, is 2,53 million VND. The maximum annual royalty is 8 times the base salary, equivalent to 20,24 million VND.
The table below helps owners estimate the annual music royalty fees for cafes and restaurants.
By Tat Dat
