Music for Restaurants in Costa Rica
What to play at lunch, dinner and in the bar, and how loud, whether you run a soda, a café or a chain with several locations.
In a restaurant, music does three jobs at once: it masks kitchen and table noise, sets the pace of service and tells the guest what kind of place this is. When it is badly chosen or too loud, guests cannot say why, but they leave sooner.
What to play and when
| Moment | Mood | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast and coffee | Bright and soft | Low |
| Business lunch | Brisk but discreet; guests are short on time | Low-medium |
| Afternoon | Relaxed, to stretch out coffee or dessert | Low |
| Dinner | Warmer and more intimate | Medium-low |
| Bar and weekends | More energy as the night goes on | Medium-high |
The volume rule is simple: if two people at the same table have to raise their voices, it is too loud.
By type of venue
- Sodas and family restaurants. Familiar, cheerful music, always family-safe.
- Cafés. Steady and unobtrusive; many guests stay to work.
- Chef-driven restaurants. Music is part of the concept: few genres, well chosen.
- Bars and gastrobars. An energy curve that rises with the night.
- Chains and franchises. The same brand sound in every branch.
The most common mistakes
- Leaving the music to whoever is on shift: every day sounds different.
- Using a personal streaming account, with outside ads and no filter. Read is it legal to play Spotify in a business in Costa Rica?
- The same list all day, every day: staff are the first to tire of it.
- Explicit content during family lunch.
A restaurant's music licence in Costa Rica
Restaurants that use music need ACAM's public communication licence. The basics are in the guide to the music licence for businesses in Costa Rica.
How Radio Creator handles it
- Scheduling by time of day, shifting on its own from lunch to dinner.
- Control from your phone, for all your locations.
- Explicit-content filter.
- Your own announcements: dish of the day, weekly promotion, opening hours.
Radio Creator is a Costa Rican company operating as a business music provider licensed by FONOTICA. See the service at music for business in Costa Rica.
Frequently asked questions
What music is best for a restaurant?
Music that supports the service without competing with conversation: soft at breakfast and lunch, warmer at dinner and more energetic in the bar. What matters is that it changes with the time of day.
How loud should restaurant music be?
Loud enough to cover background noise without making guests raise their voices. If two people at the same table cannot hear each other comfortably, it is too loud.
Does a restaurant in Costa Rica have to pay ACAM?
Yes. Restaurants that use music need ACAM's public communication licence (Licencia de Autorización por Comunicación Pública).
Can I play Spotify in my restaurant?
No. Spotify is for personal use and its terms exclude commercial venues. A restaurant needs a music source built for commercial use.
This guide is for information only and is not legal advice. Requirements can change: always confirm with ACAM what applies to your venue.
The right music for every service
Tell us about your restaurant and we will propose a schedule by time of day.
Talk to us