How much does SACM charge a business? 2026 Guide

If your business plays music, sooner or later someone will ask: are you paying SACM? Before you answer, it helps to know exactly what it charges, how it's calculated, and which figures have really been published.

This guide brings together what Mexico's Federal Copyright Law, SACM's own rate schedule, and the business press said between 2025 and 2026. No made-up numbers: every figure comes with its source.

What is SACM and why does it charge your business?

SACM is the Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México (Society of Authors and Composers of Mexico), a collecting society. The law defines these societies as non-profit organizations that collect and pay out what authors earn (article 192 of Mexico's Federal Copyright Law). According to Expansión, SACM also has agreements with more than 200 societies in other countries, so it collects for international catalogs too.

The legal basis is article 26 bis of the law: authors are entitled to a royalty every time their work is publicly performed, and whoever does the public performance pays it, either directly to the author or to the society that represents them. Playing music for your customers in a space open to the public is public performance.

That's why it doesn't matter where the music comes from: what counts is who wrote the songs. Paying for Spotify changes nothing (we explain why in Can I use Spotify or YouTube in my business?).

How does SACM calculate what it charges you?

SACM publishes an online rate calculator where any business can get a quote. It first asks for your ZIP code and neighborhood, then your type of establishment. The result comes out in UDA. According to Expansión, the monthly amount varies with these factors:

Each UDA has a peso value that's updated periodically. Expansión reported that one UDA was worth MX$310 in 2025. When we checked SACM's online calculator in October 2026, it valued each UDA at MX$350, so the 2025 figures below would be somewhat higher today.

Two details worth knowing. First, the rate calculator itself is presented as informational and for guidance only: amounts are subject to SACM's validation, and a quote is not an authorization. Second, according to Expansión, businesses that belong to chambers of commerce can get discounts for paying in advance or for six-month or annual packages.

How much does SACM charge? The published figures

These are the fees that are actually documented. Use them as a reference, not as a quote:

2025 figures calculated with that year's UDA (MX$310). Your actual fee depends on your type of business, your ZIP code, and your capacity.

On the other side are the figures business owners complained about. In September 2025, the Ciudad Juárez Canaco told El Universal that small businesses were being asked for around MX$5,000 a month and large hotels up to MX$120,000. In the same story, the head of IMPI said the maximum charge to businesses was about MX$9,000.

That gap between what some report and what others publish explains why IMPI, SACM, and Concanaco Servytur announced working groups to make the rates transparent (El Financiero, September 23, 2025). Among the agreements: publicizing the rates published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación and making sure fees aren't charged at anyone's discretion.

What happens if you don't pay?

Here it helps to separate the fee (what you'd pay for the license) from the penalty. Publicly using a protected work without authorization, for direct or indirect profit, is a commercial infringement (article 231, section I, of the LFDA). IMPI punishes it with a fine of 5,000 to 40,000 days of minimum wage (article 232), plus up to 500 days of minimum wage for every day the infringement continues.

There are usually steps before a fine. SACM told Expansión that fines are a last resort, after repeated visits, and that INDAUTOR allows conciliation procedures. IMPI, for its part, told El Universal it can close establishments for three days. (More on penalties in How much is the fine for playing music in my business without a license?)

If someone comes to collect, check this

1. Ask for ID. IMPI clarified in a press release that its inspectors must identify themselves with an Institute badge and never ask for payment.
2. Ask for the proposal in writing, with your type of business, your capacity, and the UDA calculation.
3. Compare it with the official rate calculator, entering your real ZIP code and type of business.
4. Ask what it covers. The SACM license is for the songs; the recordings are billed separately.

Did they mention SOMEXFON too? Read Is SOMEXFON mandatory? Can it fine you?

Can you legally avoid paying SACM?

Yes, if the music playing in your business isn't part of the repertoire SACM manages. The law doesn't force any author to join: under article 195 of the LFDA, each rights holder freely chooses whether to join a collecting society or manage their rights on their own. The obligation to pay SACM comes from using works it represents.

The challenge is practical: with agreements with societies around the world, well-known commercial music almost always falls within its repertoire. That's why the real way out is to use music created for businesses and have it in writing. (We show you how in Royalty-free music for businesses: 2026 guide.)

At GeoVENN the music is original: we create it ourselves, it isn't registered with SACM or SOMEXFON, and GeoVENN controls 100% of its rights. Every location gets a written license letter, ready to show during an inspection. An honest note: the letter covers GeoVENN music; if you also play radio, Spotify, or well-known commercial music, that isn't covered. See how our Legal Shield works and check out our per-location plans.

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