Small-to-Medium Sized Business (SMB) owners often struggle with finding a business music provider that can deliver the right music, in the right way, at a cost that doesn’t break the bank. Still, choosing the right music for small business can curate the environment, aligning with brand image and values.
SMBs know that “the right” background music will improve how customers feel about their business, affect how much money their customers will spend, and influence how often they return. The best way to achieve these goals is to create custom background music for businesses, but doing so is often expensive and difficult.
This guide outlines the 6 essential tips on how to choose the right small business music provider and includes a breakdown of the industry’s two most popular options, Soundtrack and SiriusXM for business.
Why Business Music Is Different from Consumer Streaming
Before comparing providers, it’s worth understanding why consumer services like Spotify, Apple Music, or FM radio aren’t appropriate for business use. Consumer streaming licenses do not cover public performance. Playing Spotify in your store can expose you to legal action from performance rights organizations (PROs).
FM radio comes with competitor ads, DJ chatter, and content you can’t control. Personal playlists go stale quickly and lack the professional programming businesses need.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Provider
To avoid copyright fines and juggling annual licenses with multiple PROs, many small business owners turn to music for business providers. These providers offer fully licensed music under one catalog.
There are many different providers, but the most popular are Soundtrack, Spotify’s music for business division, and SiriusXM for business.
Both Soundtrack Your Brand and SiriusXM for Business are fully licensed for commercial use, solving the legal problem entirely. The question is which one fits your specific business environment.
1. Music Variety and Channel Selection
Soundtrack Your Brand offers hundreds curated business playlists spanning dozens of genres and moods, built specifically for commercial spaces. The catalog is deep, ranging from pop hits to indie and under-the-radar, and updated regularly. This is an excellent fit for businesses where music is an active part of the brand experience, like boutique retail, cafes, fitness studios, or upscale restaurants.
SiriusXM for Business features 240+ dedicated business music channels programmed by the same team behind SiriusXM’s 33-million-subscriber consumer service. Channels are clean, interruption-free, and cover a wide range of familiar genres — a great match for businesses where customers value recognizable music, such as automotive shops, salons, or traditional retail.
2. Customization and Scheduling
Soundtrack Your Brand is built for granular control. Schedule different playlists by time of day, day of week, or location zone — morning jazz in the lobby, upbeat pop at lunch, mellower vibes in the evening. If tailoring the sonic environment to specific moments is a priority, Soundtrack Your Brand is the stronger pick.
SiriusXM for Business offers music scheduling and centralized management through its dedicated business player. It’s a reliable, easy-to-manage system that works well when consistency and simplicity matter more than deep customization.
3. Hardware and Setup
Soundtrack Your Brand is software-first. Business owners stream music through a compatible commercial audio system. SiriusXM for Business includes a dedicated business-grade internet player with enterprise features like remote security and centralized management, ideal for multi-location owners who want a standalone set-it-and-forget-it solution.
4. Licensing and Legal Peace of Mind
Both providers are fully licensed for commercial use. Your monthly subscription covers performance rights, keeping you clear of ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC requirements. No additional fees, no threatening letters.
5. Cost and Value
SiriusXM for Business starts at $26.95/month, one of the lowest price point in the licensed business music category. This is an ideal option for business owners who would prefer to ‘set it and forget it’ when it comes to managing their music.
A music subscription to Soundtrack starts at approximately $39/month, reflecting its deeper customization and more extensive catalog. This also gives business owners the option to port playlists from their personal Spotify accounts to the business music platform.
6. Brand Familiarity vs. Distinctive Atmosphere
SiriusXM’s widespread recognition means customers are likely to find the music familiar and reassuring, as there are about 33 million active subscribers.
Soundtrack Your Brand takes the opposite approach, using curated and often undiscovered music to create a truly distinctive environment. Both are valid strategies depending on your brand positioning.
Which Provider Is Right for Your Business?
Choose Soundtrack Your Brand if:
- Music is central to your brand identity and customer experience
- You want scheduling control to match music to different times or zones
- You run a boutique, cafe, restaurant, fitness studio, or hotel
- You value a large, contemporary, frequently updated catalog
Choose SiriusXM for Business if:
- You want a reliable, cost-effective solution with familiar programming
- You manage multiple locations and need easy centralized administration
- Your business benefits from recognizable music (retail, automotive, salons, offices)
- You prefer dedicated hardware over a software-only setup
Let Dynamic Media Help You Decide
The right music for small business choice depends on your business type, brand, and priorities. Dynamic Media is a national authorized reseller for Soundtrack Your Brand and SiriusXM for Business, and one of the fastest-growing music-for-business providers in the country.
Call us at 1-800-684-7050 or request a free quote to get started.