Business Music Streamer Soundtrack Signs SESAC Licensing Deal
Soundtrack, a streaming service built for businesses, has signed a licensing deal with SESAC, one of the main US performing rights organisations. The deal was announced on November 5, 2026, and gives Soundtrack agreements with all four major US performing rights organisations, known as PROs.
A PRO collects royalties for songwriters and music publishers when their songs are played in public, such as in a shop, a restaurant or a gym. Soundtrack already had licences with ASCAP, BMI and Global Music Rights (GMR). The SESAC agreement completes the set. SESAC licenses the public performance of more than 1.5 million songs for more than 15,000 affiliated songwriters, composers and music publishers. Investment group Blackstone bought SESAC in 2017.
Soundtrack, formerly known as Soundtrack Your Brand, announced the deal alongside a study it commissioned on how businesses use music. The study surveyed 1,525 decision-makers representing almost 15,000 US business locations. Its headline finding is that 97% of US businesses play music.
The rest of the numbers are less encouraging for anyone who wants the music to be fully legal. Of the businesses that play music, 79% do so through consumer streaming services, the apps people use at home. Only 19% say they are fully compliant with commercial music requirements. Just 5% report holding licences from all four of ASCAP, BMI, GMR and SESAC.
Soundtrack also estimates that unlicensed music use in US businesses costs the US music industry $1.4 billion a year.
The company says its service offers more than 125 million songs and over 2,500 playlists licensed for business use, according to its website. The site states that personal services such as Spotify are not approved for use in any business environment. It also says every song play is tracked and reported so that creators are paid correctly. To make the case for well-chosen music, Soundtrack cites a 2024 TrendCandy survey of 150 US brand leaders, in which 92% of businesses said the right music leads to longer stays and higher customer spend.
For a business owner, the practical question is which licences cover the music coming out of the speakers. Soundtrack's deal with SESAC is one more answer to that question, and the study suggests many businesses are still working it out.
