Music licensing in Poland
What ZAiKS, ZPAV, STOART and SAWP cost in 2026
A business in Poland that plays recorded music to its customers pays three fees. ZAiKS licenses the songs, for the songwriters and publishers. ZPAV licenses the recordings, for the record labels. STOART and SAWP license the performances, for the performers. One table sets the rates by the type of venue, its size and the population of its town. So the figures on this page are for Warsaw, which has the highest tariff of all towns.
A shop of 100 m² in Warsaw pays 4729,44 zł a year: 2128,08 zł to ZAiKS, 1300,68 zł to ZPAV, and 1300,68 zł to STOART/SAWP, without VAT.
What a venue pays a year
For one location, from the societies' published tariffs for background music, without VAT. Where a tariff depends on the town, the figures are for Warsaw.
Shop or storeWarsaw
100 m²
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 2128,08 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 1300,68 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 1300,68 zł
- Total a year
- 4729,44 zł
Shop or storeWarsaw
300 m²
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 3193,68 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 1953,48 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 1953,48 zł
- Total a year
- 7100,64 zł
Shop or storeWarsaw
1,000 m²
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 4642,80 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 2839,56 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 2839,56 zł
- Total a year
- 10 321,92 zł
Restaurant or caféWarsaw
30 seats
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 2355,00 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 1445,16 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 1445,16 zł
- Total a year
- 5245,32 zł
Restaurant or caféWarsaw
60 seats
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 4733,40 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 2894,76 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 2894,76 zł
- Total a year
- 10 522,92 zł
Restaurant or caféWarsaw
120 seats
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 7383,00 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 4509,36 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 4509,36 zł
- Total a year
- 16 401,72 zł
Bar or pubWarsaw
40 seats
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 2752,20 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 1693,56 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 1693,56 zł
- Total a year
- 6139,32 zł
Bar or pubWarsaw
80 seats
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 5688,60 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 3482,76 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 3482,76 zł
- Total a year
- 12 654,12 zł
Hair or beauty salonWarsaw
3 chairs
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 1319,76 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 806,64 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 806,64 zł
- Total a year
- 2933,04 zł
Hair or beauty salonWarsaw
6 chairs
- ZAiKSSongwriters and publishers
- 2213,04 zł
- ZPAVRecord producers
- 1352,64 zł
- STOART/SAWPPerformers
- 1352,64 zł
- Total a year
- 4918,32 zł
The figures are the Warsaw tariff for recorded background music, such as a playlist or a streaming service. Shops pay by the area with sound, and restaurants and bars by their permitted seats. Fast-food bars and other venues that sell no alcohol, and restaurants in hotels, have other tariffs. Food shops of up to 500 m² pay 25 percent less. A venue with a higher standard and higher prices pays 30 percent more, and so does a venue in a tourist town in the tourist season. A shop or restaurant that opens for up to 15 days a month pays half. One joint table sets all three societies' rates by town size; shops inside shopping centres pay a higher rate, and chains and annual prepayment earn discounts, neither of which is included. Gyms are priced per exercise hall as foreground music, so they are left out.
An estimate from the societies' published tariffs for background music; the exact fee depends on how the society measures your premises, your opening days and any extras such as live music or TV.
Work out the fee for your own venueOr play music that no society bills for
Tonada composes original music for your brand and registers it with no collecting society, so ZAiKS, ZPAV, and STOART/SAWP have nothing to bill. You pay for your Tonada subscription, everything included, and get a certificate to show any inspector.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you play recorded music, such as a playlist or a streaming service. ZAiKS covers the songs, ZPAV the recordings, and STOART and SAWP the performances. The table on this page shows each fee.
Because there is no single price for all of Poland. The societies price a venue by the population of its town, and Warsaw has the highest tariff of all towns. A shop of 100 m² pays 4729,44 zł a year in Warsaw, the same in Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, the Tri-City and Central Silesia, 3178,92 zł in a city of over 100,000 people, 2895,60 zł in a town of 20,000 to 100,000, 2611,20 zł at 10,000 to 20,000 and 2421,96 zł at up to 10,000. The calculator gives the fee for your town.
Yes. The table gives the rates before any discount, and you ask for a discount in writing. You get 10 percent off for one year if you ask for a licence before you start to play music and before a society contacts you. You get 10 percent off if you pay for half a year in advance and 15 percent if you pay for a year. Chains of three or more locations get 5 to 15 percent, and members of some trade bodies get 5 percent. The total discount cannot be more than 30 percent.
Yes. Shops in a shopping centre have their own tariff, which is the same in every town. A shop of 100 m² pays 5363,04 zł a year, before any discount.
No. The societies publish their rates without VAT, and so does this page. VAT comes on top.
No. Spotify's terms allow personal use only, and these licences do not change that. A business needs a music service that is licensed for business use.
No. Tonada's music is registered with no collecting society, so ZAiKS, ZPAV, STOART and SAWP have nothing to bill for it. You get a certificate to show any inspector. This applies when Tonada's music is the only music you play.
Sources
ZAiKS, tariff from April 1, 2026
ZPAV, tariff from April 1, 2026
STOART/SAWP, tariff from April 1, 2026
Your brand's own music, with no fees to ZAiKS, ZPAV, and STOART/SAWP
Tonada composes music for your brand and plays it in every location, adapted to the time of day. One subscription covers everything.
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