We're a record label, so we solved the "Spotify in my café is illegal" problem with our own catalog

Most business owners don't know this: Spotify and YouTube explicitly forbid commercial use. Their terms say personal, non-commercial — a paid subscription changes nothing. Every café playing Spotify is in a legal gray zone, and in many countries collective licensing bodies actively inspect venues. In Romania, where we operate, unlicensed use means paying triple the fees retroactively, and inspectors can legally record what's playing as proof.

We had an unusual way in: we're a record label. We already owned a catalog outright — master rights, no third-party repertoire. So we built NextStream: background music for businesses, licensed directly from us to each venue, with a certificate per location that anyone can verify online. No collective-management maze for the content we provide, one contract, flat price from €14/month per venue.

The part I'm most proud of isn't the audio though. Every music service tells venues to keep their TVs on mute (TV broadcasts carry their own licensing mess). We went the other way: native apps for Apple TV, Google TV, Samsung and LG, with themed video content synced to each music station. The screens stop being dead weight on the wall and become part of the ambience — covered by the same certificate as the music.

Honest limits, because they matter: our certificate covers our content only. A venue that also plays radio or TV channels still needs licenses for those — we say this explicitly in our FAQ instead of promising "never pay fees again" like some competitors do. That honesty costs us some conversions and wins us the right customers.

Live in Romania, expanding across the EU (site's already in 6 languages). Curious how other founders handle selling into a market where the problem is real but most buyers don't know they have it.