Music on social media
Play fair, reel fair
To understand which works were used and how often, we require comprehensive usage data from these platforms. Regrettably, we don’t always have access to these usage reports. This can occur, for instance, when YouTube’s music recognition system fails to identify a song.
Our mission is to distribute revenues as accurately and fairly as possible to our members, even in the face of missing information. That’s why we’re continually refining our model. Interested in learning more about how our model works? Keep reading.
Music on social media? It´s worth it!
Quick release, fast payment
We distribute faster and more frequently now. Every 3 months we pay out your royalties.
Klick – money, swipe – money
We distribute more revenue from YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok based on clicks - thanks to better distribution ratios and usage information.
We love to support you
We specifically promote online repertoire by reducing the deduction for social and cultural purposes to 1%. In addition, we are expanding cultural promotion to the online area.
Big data, fair payment
We are expanding the database for usage reports. This gives us more detailed information about when which works were used. In addition, you can submit reports yourself.
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For more fairness and transparency in the streaming market
In the online sector, and especially in streaming, there is a lack of fairness and transparency for creators. The digital market for creative content must be tailor-made to the needs of the creatives and enable them to earn their economic livelihoods. Therefore, we advocate for better participation of music creators in the revenues of major online platforms. So that our members earn what they deserve.
Mixed online platforms at a glance
We receive income from licensing
The income we distribute in the GOP sectors comes from the purchase of licenses by social media platforms (e.g., from Google (YouTube) and Meta (Facebook, Instagram)).
Usage reports of the online platforms as a distribution basis
We mainly receive usage information from the online platforms themselves, e.g., from YouTube’s Content ID system. With the fiscal year 2023, we have expanded the database. We now also consider reports from third-party providers and the rights holders themselves (e.g., in the Claiming Tool).
Distribution of income based on the dual distribution model
If we have comprehensive usage reports, these are compensated for usage, deducting the commission and a 1 % solidarity contribution for social and cultural purposes. Incomplete and inadequate reports are compensated by a supplementary distribution on the annual income. The proportion between usage-based and supplementary distribution is set by the supervisory board (quota).
Good to know: We distribute royalties from retrievals outside of Europe in the International categories.
More Informations:
Mixed online platforms at a glance
We receive income from licensing
The income we distribute in the GOP sectors comes from the purchase of licenses by social media platforms (e.g., from Google (YouTube) and Meta (Facebook, Instagram)).
Usage reports of the online platforms as a distribution basis
We mainly receive usage information from the online platforms themselves, e.g., from YouTube’s Content ID system. With the fiscal year 2023, we have expanded the database. We now also consider reports from third-party providers and the rights holders themselves (e.g., in the Claiming Tool).
Distribution of income based on the dual distribution model
If we have comprehensive usage reports, these are compensated for usage, deducting the commission and a 1 % solidarity contribution for social and cultural purposes. Incomplete and inadequate reports are compensated by a supplementary distribution on the annual income. The proportion between usage-based and supplementary distribution is set by the supervisory board (quota).
You can find out here how the dual distribution model works in detail.
Good to know: We distribute royalties from retrievals outside of Europe in the International categories. You can find out more about the distribution on our webpage International.
The dual distribution model
Due to missing and incomplete usage data from social media platforms, we distribute in the mixed online platforms categories in two parallel ways:
If usable usage information is available, a usage-based distribution is made. In this way, distribution can take place on a per-work and per-click basis, comparable to the distributions for uses on Spotify or Apple Music.
Music uses that cannot be processed due to missing data are remunerated in the form of a supplement. This is based on the assumption that music content used in other contexts is also used on social media platforms. The supplement is therefore dependent on the volume of uses in other categories.
GEMA continues to work intensively to ensure reporting from YouTube and other platforms.
The supplement relates to the respective annual income of those entitled to receive distributions. Almost all categories are taken into consideration in terms of income, but with different weightings. For this purpose, each platform is taken into consideration in its own right. Only the sum of the usage-based GOP distribution and the GOP supplement results in the remuneration for the use of works on a platform.
The Supervisory Board, based on available empirical data, decides which share of the income from platforms is distributed on a usage basis and which is distributed as a supplement (so-called quota).
The distribution of revenues from YouTube
From YouTube, we currently receive only partially usable usage reports via Content ID. That is why we distribute revenues from YouTube in a dual distribution model.
For the distribution of the years 2019 and 2020, the Supervisory Board has determined the revenue split to be 70% for supplement and 30% for usage reports. For 2021 and 2022, the applicable share is 65% / 35%.
What are views of my work on YouTube worth?
Your song or piece of music is featured in a YouTube video? Here, you can determine the approximate monetary value of these views over the past year.
For more fairness and transparency in the streaming market
In the online sector, and especially in streaming, there is a lack of fairness and transparency for creators. The digital market for creative content must be tailor-made to the needs of the creatives and enable them to earn their economic livelihoods. Therefore, we advocate for better participation of music creators in the revenues of major online platforms. So that our members earn what they deserve.
The GOP Claiming-Tool from GEMA
Rich in streams, but poor in royalties?
Your works are being clicked massively on the platforms YouTube, Meta or TikTok? But you don’t receive any payout from GEMA for this? The reason for this is that the mentioned platforms do not provide usable usage reports. For these cases, we have developed the GOP Claiming Tool.
Here is how it works:
Claiming platforms
You can claim your played works on the social media platforms YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Claiming-Voraussetzung
You can claim up to 10 videos for each fiscal year. Videos on YouTube must have at least 100,000 views/year, videos on Facebook and Instagram.
To the Claiming Tool
To get to the “GOP Claiming Tool”, simply follow the link to the onlineportal and go to “Claim”. Then click on "No distribution received" and then on "Digital". There you can insert the link to the video you want to claim.
How GEMA distributes your YouTube royalties
Go to the GEMA Online Portal and click on My financial details to access your account statements.
There, you will find your YouTube distribution amounts for the respective financial year. Due to our dual distribution model, we distribute the click-based and usage-based distribution under the category designation GOP/GOP VR (1st semester and 2nd Semester). You can find the supplementary distribution under GOP/GOP VR (YouTube supplement).
In short: Click-based distribution + supplementary distribution = Total YouTube royalties
If you have any further questions, we are happy to help. Just write to mitgliederservice@gema.de.
A quick conversation with...
Josef Eschker. He is departmental manager at GEMA of VR/A Service -Distribution mechanical rights, online and international income.
Together with his team, he is available to members and sister organisations for their queries and claims regarding distributions from YouTube, Spotify or Netflix, regarding CD or DVD mechanical reproductions, and uses of the GEMA repertoire abroad.
Repeatedly, we receive questions related to the GOP distribution by our GEMA members. We would like to take this opportunity to answer them here.
GEMA Pilot project „YouTube Claiming-Tool“
Your works are used on YouTube to a relevant extent, but you do not receive any distribution from GEMA for them? For these cases - in which YouTube usually does not provide GEMA with usable usage reports - we have launched the GEMA pilot project "YouTube Claiming Tool". With it, we give our members the opportunity to make credible uses of their works on YouTube that are not uploaded to their own channels.
For uses in the previous year, you can receive an early distribution for up to 10 videos with at least 100,000 views per year in each case. To do so, send us the video links via the "YouTube Claiming Tool". Please note: The distributions for this will be made during the course of the year, but will be offsetagainst the GOP supplement for the fiscal year in question.
To access the YouTube Claiming tool, simply follow this link to the Online Portal and go to "Claim". Then click on "No distribution received" and then on "Digital".
Important dates and deadlines
Registration periods for new works and changes to existing works:
Register your works directly via our Online Portal, preferably before publication, but at the latest one month after the end of the usage month (publication).
Annual distribution dates:
For mixed online platforms (GOP & GOP VR - usage-based distribution), we pay out four times a year - on 01.01., 01.04., 01.07. and 01.10. of a year.
We usually distribute the supplement for mixed online platforms on 01.12. of a year. In addition, a supplementary of income from the granting of production rights for non-commercial user-generated content on 01.02. of a year.
Claim periods:
In the GOP and GOP VR categories, the three-month period begins on the respective distribution date for the supplement distribution (currently: 30 March 2025 for uses in the 1st quarter of 2023 and the 4th quarter of 2024).
To learn how this works and what you need to know in order to proceed, see our claims page.
FAQ - frequently asked questions about distributions in the mixed online platforms categories
The supplementary distribution includes royalties for pan-European uses of your works on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Triller for which GEMA has collected licensing income but not received any (usable) usage reports.
Supplement means: you will receive a percentage supplement based on your royalty earnings in other categories.
In order to avoid unjustifiably high distributions to authors who have a high offline repertoire but hardly any online repertoire, there are gradations according to the amount of revenue. This means that the income of an author
- up to an amount of EUR 2,000.00 at 100 %,
- 50 % for the revenue section from EUR 2,000.01 to EUR 20,000.00 and
20 % for amounts exceeding EUR 20.000.00
is taken into account.
In the GOP and GOP VR divisions, a commission of 10 % was deducted from the distribution amount in each case. With the resolution of the 2023 Annual General Meeting, the 10 % deduction for social and cultural purposes in the GOP divisions was reduced from 10 % to 1 %. We use this amount for the social support and cultural promotion of our members, specifically for the online area. At the 2024 General Assembly, a new funding concept specifically for the online sector was approved by means of a further motion. This combines two funding approaches: 1) In the online cultural supplement, funding is based on membership income. Funding for newcomers is also provided for here. 2) The online cultural fund enables funding for individual works and projects.
The old version of the dual distribution model still applies for the distribution of supplements on 1 February 2023.
Supplement means that you receive a percentage supplement based on your income from other sectors. For example, if you have received €100 in the online sectors, you will receive a supplement of €3.92, as you can see in the table below.
The supplementary distribution is made in accordance with § 182e of the distribution plan as a supplement for the respective annual income of the person entitled to receive the distribution for the financial year 2020. It will be carried out separately according to the following category groups: Performance & communication to the public (BM, DK, DK VR, E, ED, EM, KI, U, UD); radio (R, R VR); television & presentation (FS, FS VR to 1/10, T, TD, TD VR, T FS, T FS VR, VOD, VOD VR); mechanical reproduction & distribution (BT VR, PHONO VR); online (KMOD, KMOD VR, MOD, MOD VR, WEB, WEB VR) and international income (A, A VR).
The rounded, average percentage supplement rates for 2020 income are:
TikTok Triller
TikTok Triller
Facebook Instagram
1,10 %
1,33 %
Facebook Instagram
YouTube
YouTube
The rounded, average percentage surcharge rates are as follows for the 2021 income: In the GOP and GOP VR divisions, a commission of 10 % was deducted from the distribution amount in each case. In the GOP division, a further 10 % is deducted for social and cultural purposes in accordance with Section 30 (1) of the distribution plan (this deduction was reduced to 1% at the 2023 General Assembly Meeting).
The three-month claim period for pan-European uses on YouTube in 2020 starts with the supplementary distribution as of 1 January 2022. There are two special conditions, which have been determined by the GEMA Supervisory Board:
In order to make use of your works in the categories GOP and GOP VR credible, objective data is required showing for each work the number of retrievals, the usage period and the countries from which the retrievals were made. Apart from that, § 59 of the distribution plan shall apply.
If the rightsholder has already received royalties in the course of the supplementary distribution for mixed online platforms, it will be offset against the distribution claim resulting from a successful claim.
You can submit a claim for an incorrect distribution quickly and easily:
- Log in to the Online Portal and use the Claims service.
You don’t have access to the online portal yet ? Register as a music creator here. You will then receive an e-mail with an activation link to set your password. After that, just fill out the registration form displayed in the Online Portal, and submit it to us. We will inform you after successful activation. Then you can start the service under My Royalties and download the detailed breakdowns.
FAQ - frequently asked questions about distributions in the mixed online platforms categories
You can submit a claim for an incorrect distribution quickly and easily:
- Log in to the Online Portal and use the Claims service.
You don’t have access to the Online Portal yet ? Register as a music creator here. You will then receive an e-mail with an activation link to set your password. After that, just fill out the registration form displayed in the Online Portal, and submit it to us. We will inform you after successful activation. Then you can start the service under GEMA Download and download the detailed breakdowns.