Claims

Submit a claim

• Wie reiche ich als Schwestergesellschaft eine Reklamation ein?

  In order to review your claim to your satisfaction, we require specific and complete information. This is essential to ensure that the use of your works is clearly identified and any potential claims are accurately assessed. 

  We therefore kindly ask you to provide all necessary information exclusively using our claim form. Please note that use of this form is mandatory to process your claim. 

  The claim form contains several worksheets, one for each distribution category, and enables you to submit claims for all types of usages in a complete and structured way. 

  Please send the completed form, including any relevant attachments, by email at societies@gema.de. 

  Reasons, why specific data and a claim form are important:

  • Clear identification: Only with complete information can we ensure that the use of your works is correctly recorded and attributed. 
  • Efficient processing: A fully completed claim form allows us to consolidate all relevant information in one place and process your claim more quickly. 
  • Legal compliance: GEMA is obligated to review all claims based on the data and documents provided. Missing or inaccurate information may result in claims not being considered. 

  Please note that the claim period is 3 years from the distribution date. The sooner you provide us with the complete information, the faster we can review your request and, if applicable, pay out any missing royalties. 

• Was ist der Unterschied zwischen „Keine Ausschüttung erhalten“ und „Fehlerhafte Ausschüttung erhalten“ im Onlineportal?

  Wenn Sie in unserem Onlineportal den Service Reklamation nutzen möchten, ist es im ersten Schritt wichtig zu unterscheiden, ob gar keine Auszahlung der Tantiemen stattgefunden hat oder ob die erfolgte Auszahlung fehlerhaft war:

• Are there any restrictions for making a claim?

  In our Online Portal, you can easily submit a claim if your works have been allocated to the wrong category, assigned incorrect shares, or distributed with an inaccurate rating. The same applies for work uses which had not been included in the royalty payout.

  There are some restrictions, however. They are set out in the GEMA distribution plan as adopted by the ordinary members' assembly.

  We have summarised the most important items for you:

   

  1. You can only submit claims for the following types of use, such as:
     • Live and communication to the public: Live performances of entertainment music (U/UD) and serious music (E/ED), renditions of serious music (EM) and stage music (BM)
     • Radio, TV and film: Radio (R/ R VR), television (FS/ FS VR), sound film on TV including product product advertising (T FS/ T FS VR), cinema (T/ TD/ TD VR) 
     • Audio and audiovisual recordings: Audio recordings mechanical rights (Phono VR) and audiovisual recording mechanical recordings (BT VR): The last distribution in this category took place on July 1, 2025. Complaints regarding the 2024 usage year can still be submitted via the online portal until September 30, 2025. For information after September 30, 2025, please check our website regularly. 
     • Online: Music on demand download (MOD D/ MOD D VR), music on demand streaming (MOD S/ MOD S VR), video on demand download (VOD D/ VOD D VR), video on demand streaming (VOD S/ VOD S VR), live streaming – audiovisual live streams and linear streams on the internet (WEB/ WEB VR), mixed online platforms (GOP/ GOP VR) 
     • International Income: Performances and mechanical reproductions abroad 
        
  2. There are types of use for which you cannot submit claims:
     
     
     • Category AI (music in the course of church services) and DK /DK VR (music playback in discotheques / reproduction of musical works by Djs who use such works for communication to the public in discotheques or clubs)
     • Claims for royalty payouts in the live categories are not required for DJ sets in clubs since such events are allocated to the DK category..
        
  3.  The claim must be submitted within the set claims deadline.
      
  4.  The claim must be submitted in full and with all the necessary information. If specific details are missing, you will be asked to provide it. Failure to submit them in due time results in the claim being rejected. All necessary information is requested step by step in the GEMA Online Portal, so you can't forget anything.
      
  5. No claims by email or post: Since 27 November 2024, claims are only accepted via the Online Portal. In the case of monitoring or mass claims for broadcasting rights (use of music on the radio or on TV) there are exceptions: These should be agreed with us beforehand and cannot be submitted via the Online Portal until further notice. Details can be accessed at Radio, TV and film. 
      
  6. A claim is only considered if the result is expected to yield a minimum amount of EUR 5.00 per work. 
      
  7. For the categories radio, Tv/film (broadcasting rights) the following applies: You can only submit claims for transmissions that are lodged via the online service Claims. All other broadcasters are under the threshold for a programme analysis-based distribution (PVG, see Art. 94 of the GEMA distribution plan) and are not distributed by use. 
      
  8. Claims for missing transmissions of broadcasters under the threshold will not be taken into consideration. 
• Ich habe zu wenig oder gar keine Tantiemen ausgezahlt bekommen. Was kann ich nun machen?

  Wenn Sie keine oder zu wenig Tantiemen von uns ausgezahlt bekommen haben, kann es verschiedene Gründe geben:

  Je nach Art der Werknutzung (etwa ein Live-Konzert im Inland oder die Nutzung Ihrer Werke in einer Sendung im Fernsehen) gibt es beispielsweise verschiedene Ausschüttungstermine, an denen die Tantiemen i.d.R. zeitversetzt an Sie ausgezahlt werden. Es ist also möglich, dass der offizielle Auszahlungstermin noch gar nicht stattgefunden hat. Über unsere Ausschüttungstermine können Sie herausfinden, für welche Sparte und welchen Nutzungszeitraum wir schon Tantiemen ausgezahlt haben. 

  Sie wollen mehr über die Tantiemenauszahlungen in den einzelnen Verteilungssparten erfahren? Auf unseren Tantiemenseiten finden Sie die wichtigsten Informationen.

  Weitere Ursachen für fehlende Tantiemenauszahlungen wie geänderte Kontakt- oder Bankdaten haben wir außerdem hier für Sie zusammengefasst.

  Wenn Sie die genannten Gründe ausschließen können oder es tatsächlich ein Problem mit Ihren Werken bzw. den Nutzungen Ihrer Werke gibt, haben Sie die Möglichkeit schnell und unkompliziert über unser Onlineportal im Service Reklamation zu reklamieren. Was Sie dabei beachten müssen, können Sie auf unserer Reklamationsseite nachlesen.

• My pay-out is not right, there are dates missing, or the number of works is incorrect. What can I do?

  You can submit a claim for an incorrect pay-out quickly and easily by using our Online Portal: Log in to our Online Portal and click on the service  Claims.
  
  Do you not have access to the Online Portal yet? How to register: please view our  registration instructions.

• Where can I find current information on changes and pay-outs and claims?

  This information is available at:

  • Domestic royalty distribution
  • International royalty distribution
  • Online royalty distribution

  You can read everything you need to know about making a claim here:

  • Claims