Claiming unpaid International use
These types of use fall within the following distribution categories:
International Music Use (A)
International Mechanical Right (A VR)
Points to check
Please go to our Online Portal to claim your missing royalties. Our simple interactive form will take you through a series of questions to gather the information we need to investigate your concern.
Before you make a claim, please note:
If your music was played in a foreign country, it often takes some time before we can pay out your royalties
And why is that?
CMOs in the various countries calculate royalties according to their own distribution rules, and GEMA then pays them out to you in its capacity as their contracting partner. This involves more work and therefore takes a bit longer.
By checking our distribution dates, you can find out quickly which distribution categories royalties have already been paid for. You also find information about the country and usage period concerned in our lists on the distribution of royalties for international music use.
Based on this, you may find that royalties for the period or distribution category you are looking for have not been paid yet because the distribution date for those royalties has not yet arrived.
In the Online Portal we ask step by step for the details we need to take care of your claim. In advance, you can already take a look here.
Information we need from you
We need the following information from you:
Live Performances
Date and time of the event
Name and address of the organiser of the event
Name and address of the event venue (including the room, if applicable)
Name of the artist or band
Setlist of the works performed (including work number, if known)
In the case of stage music, the title of the play
Radio
Title of the work and/or work number
Name of a composer
Name of the radio station
Date (and time) of broadcast/broadcasting period for jingles
Title of the programme
For commercials in addition:
Title of the commercial
Name of the product advertised and theme
Broadcasting period
If you have any placement schedules, that would be very helpful.
Commissioned productions of a TV channel and third-party productions
Title of the work and/or work number
Title of the programme/film
Name of the TV channel
Date (and time) of broadcast
GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work)
For commercials in addition:
Title of the commercial
Name of the product advertised and theme
Broadcasting period
If you have any placement schedules, that would be very helpful.
Cinema
Title of the work and/or work number
Name of a composer
Title of the film
Screening period
Number of screenings
GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work)
Online Use
(for use outside the ICE Home Territories or Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix or a similar platform outside Germany)
Name of online platform (DSP), e.g. Spotify or YouTube
Release date on online platform (DSP)
Direct link to the work on the respective online platform (DSP) (not in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)
Usage period
Number of streams or views in the usage period
Title of the film (in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)
Title of the work
Work number
Date of registration of work with GEMA
International Standard Recording Code (ISRC)
GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work) (only in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)
Artist (not in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)
Audio Media/Audio-Visual Media
Title of audio medium
Release date
Type of audio medium, e.g. CD, Vinyl, DVD
Name and address of manufacturer
Number of copies
Title of the work
Work number
Artist
Deadline for claiming missing royalties:
18 months after the distribution date
Information we need from you
We need the following information from you:
Live Performances
Date and time of the event
Name and address of the organiser of the event
Name and address of the event venue (including the room, if applicable)
Name of the artist or band
Setlist of the works performed (including work number, if known)
In the case of stage music, the title of the play
Radio
Title of the work and/or work number
Name of a composer
Name of the radio station
Date (and time) of broadcast/broadcasting period for jingles
Title of the programme
For commercials in addition:
Title of the commercial
Name of the product advertised and theme
Broadcasting period
If you have any placement schedules, that would be very helpful.
Commissioned productions of a TV channel and third-party productions
Title of the work and/or work number
Title of the programme/film
Name of the TV channel
Date (and time) of broadcast
GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work)
For commercials in addition:
Title of the commercial
Name of the product advertised and theme
Broadcasting period
If you have any placement schedules, that would be very helpful.
Cinema
Title of the work and/or work number
Name of a composer
Title of the film
Screening period
Number of screenings
GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work)
Online Use
(for use outside the ICE Home Territories or Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix or a similar platform outside Germany)
Name of online platform (DSP), e.g. Spotify or YouTube
Release date on online platform (DSP)
Direct link to the work on the respective online platform (DSP) (not in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)
Usage period
Number of streams or views in the usage period
Title of the film (in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)
Title of the work
Work number
Date of registration of work with GEMA
International Standard Recording Code (ISRC)
GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work) (only in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)
Artist (not in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)
Audio Media/Audio-Visual Media
Title of audio medium
Release date
Type of audio medium, e.g. CD, Vinyl, DVD
Name and address of manufacturer
Number of copies
Title of the work
Work number
Artist
Deadline for claiming missing royalties:
18 months after the distribution date
In a nutshell
We have produced a leaflet that provides all the essential information about claiming unpaid royalties for International use. You can download it as a PDF through the link given below: