Licensing and copyright · 2 min read · 2026-09-03
Free music and public performance are not the same thing
Being free to download does not mean it is free to play in your shop. This is where many owners get caught.
- Author
- Quản trị viên
- Published
- 2026-09-03
- Updated
- 2026-09-06
- Reading time
- 2 min read
- All guides
The question I get most often from cafe owners is: this music is free, so can I play it in my shop?
The honest answer is: probably not yet, and you should read carefully before believing any library that says yes.
Three different rights
When you take a track, at least three separate rights are in play.
The right to download and keep a copy. This is the most basic one and nearly every library grants it.
The synchronisation right, meaning the right to attach music to another work such as a video or a podcast. Most free libraries grant this, which is why you can use their music in a YouTube video.
The public performance right, meaning the right to play music to the public at a venue. This is a separate right, and many libraries do not grant it even when they use the word free.
These three are independent. Having the second does not give you the third.
Why this matters in Vietnam from 2026
Businesses that play music for customers now fall within the scope of music royalty obligations, and the source does not matter. Playing from a streaming service, a disc, a USB stick or a television all count.
That means the question is no longer where you got the music, but whether you hold the public performance right for it.
Where I stand
Plainly: my current licence does not grant public performance at a business venue. That is a separate right and I am completing a legal review of its scope before granting anything.
I could write an ambiguous sentence and let you assume it is covered, as some places do. I will not, because the person who pays for being wrong is you, not me.
When the review is done I will say clearly whether it is granted, and I will say it on the licence page rather than bury it in fine print.
What to do in the meantime
If you play music in a commercial space, ask your supplier three direct questions: does your licence include public performance, where exactly does it say so, and what support do you provide if I receive a royalty demand.
A supplier who answers all three in writing is worth trusting. One that only says it is free is not enough.