Vietnamese cafés go silent on local music amid copyright concerns

Many cafés in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have either stopped playing music or switched to international or AI-generated music instead of Vietnamese songs.

Copyright fears drive cafés to turn off Vietnamese music

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) Online newspaper, the owner of Café M. in Hanoi’s Ha Dong Ward said the café had decided to temporarily stop playing music following reports of inspections related to music copyright enforcement.

Unclear about the applicable rules and compliance requirements, the café chose the safer option to turn off the music until further guidance becomes available.

“Many cafés are still uncertain because they don’t know exactly what is required,” the owner said.

“People have been telling each other to stop playing music for now to avoid legal risks while waiting for official guidance.”

The café owner said the temporary suspension of music had not significantly affected business so far, as the summer holiday has reduced the number of students, the cafés’ main customer base.

Over the longer term, however, the owner said it remained unclear how the business would cope.

“Most cafés are small household businesses,” the owner said.

“Without official notices or authorities coming to explain the process, we don’t know how to make payments or file the necessary paperwork.”

Meanwhile, the owner of a small sidewalk café in Ho Chi Minh City’s An Hoi Dong Ward said the business has never streamed music online, instead playing songs downloaded onto a device.

Because the café is located in a residential neighborhood, music is typically played only for a few hours in the morning during the busiest period.

The owner said he had read reports about the copyright regulations but remained unclear about how they would be implemented, adding that he hoped authorities would provide further guidance.

“I’ve heard about the new requirements, but I still don’t know where to begin or how to comply,” he said.

“I hope there will be more official guidance.”

Using international or AI-generated music instead

Besides temporarily stopping Vietnamese music, many cafés have switched to international music or AI-generated tracks.

Le Thi Chung, owner of An Coffee in Ho Chi Minh City, said the café had completely switched to AI-generated music and royalty-free instrumental tracks.

Chung said the music is intended simply to create a relaxing atmosphere for customers rather than serve as a key attraction or the basis of the café’s business model.

“Since July 1, we’ve proactively switched to AI-generated or copyright-free instrumental music so we can operate without worrying about potential copyright issues,” Chung said.

“We just need background music. It doesn’t have to be copyrighted songs.”

Customers have also noticed the shift.

Ly, a resident of Ho Chi Minh City’s Gia Dinh Ward, said a bubble tea shop she regularly visits had also switched to AI-generated music.

“Some people even create their own music using AI. It actually suits people’s tastes quite well,” she said.

Small business owners, however, say they are concerned about the additional costs of complying with copyright requirements at a time when revenues remain under pressure.

For small cafés, adding copyright fees to taxes and other operating expenses could significantly reduce profits.

“Revenue isn’t always stable. If we have to pay for every additional expense, it will be very difficult to keep the business going over the long term,” she said.

Another issue raised by many café owners is how copyright fees will be calculated.

Several owners said they had yet to receive direct guidance from authorities on how to comply with the new requirements and had therefore adjusted their music choices to reduce potential legal risks in the event of inspections.