Short answer

• Use a commercial (B2B) background-music provider — they supply pre‑cleared, venue‑licensed playlists for restaurants, spas, lobbies and other hotel areas. Top choices in the U.S. are Mood Media (including PlayNetwork assets), Soundtrack Your Brand (Spotify’s business product), SoundMachine, Rockbot, and SiriusXM/Pandora/Cloud Cover (SiriusXM’s B2B family). TouchTunes/PlayNetwork/Touchtunes-style solutions are options if you want interactive jukebox features. (sound-machine.com)

Where hotels typically get licensed playlists

• Commercial music services (examples below). These companies provide curated playlists and the public‑performance licenses required for playing music in a physical venue — so you don’t have to use consumer Spotify/Apple Music accounts (those are not legal for business use). (burnlounge.com)
• Enterprise music partners / sonic branding agencies — for fully custom playlists, time-of-day programming, and multi‑property rollout (often used by large hotel groups). (burnlounge.com)
• Specialized spa/ambient libraries — some vendors and smaller niche licensors provide music specifically licensed and mixed for spas/meditation/relaxation. (Cloud Cover / Pandora for Business and other B2B services offer mood‑based stations.) (radiox.cms.socastsrm.com)

Top providers — quick comparison (what they’re good for)

• Mood Media (including PlayNetwork assets)
  • Strengths: Enterprise hospitality experience, custom programming, in‑venue equipment options and nationwide support — good for multi‑property hotels and branded experiences. (sound-machine.com)
• Soundtrack Your Brand (Spotify’s business product / “Soundtrack”)
  • Strengths: Large catalog, easy playlist/station selection, Sonos and player support, straightforward interface — great for midmarket hotels that want strong catalog + simple management. Note: covers physical venue/public‑performance uses but not streaming-for-video/sync. (sound-machine.com)
• SoundMachine
  • Strengths: Business‑focused, large catalog, playlist importing, scheduling and messaging features at competitive price points — good midmarket alternative. (sound-machine.com)
• Rockbot
  • Strengths: Good for venues that want some guest interaction with curated station control and playlist tools; solid catalog for restaurants/bars. (burnlounge.com)
• SiriusXM for Business / Cloud Cover / Pandora for Business
  • Strengths: Turnkey genre- and mood-based channels, simple licensing; often lower cost for straightforward channel playback (good for lobbies, gyms, spas). Cloud Cover was folded into SiriusXM’s B2B portfolio to extend mood/station offerings. (radiox.cms.socastsrm.com)
• TouchTunes (digital jukebox/interactive)
  • Strengths: Social jukebox features for bars, restaurants and high‑activity spaces; useful if you want patrons to choose tracks. (en.wikipedia.org)

Licensing and legal checklist (don’t skip this)

• Consumer accounts (Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora free/personal) are not licensed for business use — do not use them for hotel public areas. Use a B2B provider or get separate PRO licenses. (tresquire.com)
• Public performance rights: in the U.S. ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and (where applicable) GMR collect public‑performance royalties. Many B2B services bundle the PRO/blanket coverage into their fee, but you must verify which PROs and use cases are included (lobby music, TV audio, streamed content, background piped to rooms, etc.). Ask for written confirmation. (texaslodging.com)
• Sync / online/video rights: playing music in hotel marketing videos or livestreams is a different license (synchronization/master rights). B2B background‑music subscriptions usually do NOT include sync rights; obtain separate clearances for video or social content. (reddit.com)
• Exceptions/thresholds: there are narrow federal exceptions for very small setups (few TVs/speakers). Most hotels won’t qualify — verify with the PROs or counsel. (texaslodging.com)

How to choose the best service for your property

• Small boutique / independent hotels: try Soundtrack Your Brand or SoundMachine for easy setup, Sonos/streaming integration, and generous catalogs. (sound-machine.com)
• Mid‑size hotels & mixed F&B outlets: Rockbot or SoundMachine if you want stations + some guest interaction; consider SiriusXM/Cloud Cover for cost‑effective mood channels in multiple public spaces. (burnlounge.com)
• Large groups/multi‑property brands: Mood Media / PlayNetwork for custom sonic branding, centralized control, professional curation, and rollout/installation support. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Spas and relaxation areas: pick a vendor that offers spa‑specific, licensed ambient playlists and long‑play mixes (SoundMachine, Cloud Cover, or specialized spa music licensors). (radiox.cms.socastsrm.com)

Practical next steps (recommended)

1. Identify needs: zones (lobby, restaurants, bars, pool, spa), multi‑zone scheduling, hardware (players, Sonos, AV integration), and whether guests can interact.
2. Trial 2–3 vendors: most offer free trials — test catalogs and scheduling features during different times of day. (sound-machine.com)
3. Verify licensing in writing: confirm which PROs are covered, whether in‑room audio/streaming and TV audio are included, and restrictions (e.g., no sync). Don’t rely on sales claims alone. (soundsuit.fm)
4. Ask about hardware/integration and offline playback options (player devices for reliability). Many installers recommend a dedicated player for uptime. (reddit.com)

If you want a single “best” pick

• For most hotels balancing catalog, ease and compliance: Soundtrack Your Brand or SoundMachine are excellent midmarket choices; for enterprise/hotel‑chain needs choose Mood Media/PlayNetwork. Try trials and ask each vendor for written licensing details before you sign. (sound-machine.com)

If you’d like, I can

• Pull up contact/plan pages and short pricing for 3 vendors you’re considering (I’ll confirm what PROs each vendor covers), or
• Create a short RFP checklist you can use to compare quotes across vendors.

Which (if any) of those follow‑ups would you like?