Use music

Music notification

• By when do I have to report my music use?

  There is no fixed period for this in general*, but we do recommend: The earlier, the better! This way, you can clarify any unresolved issues and are on the safe side. What’s important is that you notify us of your event before it takes place.
  
  Here is some legal background for those who are interested: There is even a statutory obligation to notify music uses beforehand. After all, the general rule in business life is: If you want to use rights, you must acquire them beforehand.
  
  *If you are a member of an association or an umbrella organisation with which a general agreement or blanket agreement has been entered into, it is possible that there are specific provisions regarding the number of days before the event before you must submit the music use notification. Your association or umbrella organisation would have to inform you of any such mandatory notification deadlines. 

• Was ist die EAN bzw. die GTIN? Gibt es einen Unterschied?

  Die European Article Number, kurz EAN, ist eine international anerkannte Zahlenfolge, zur Kennzeichnung von Produkten. Die EAN ist die 13-stellige Nummer unterhalb des Barcodes. Mit der EAN kann jeder Artikel, jedes Produkt oder jede Produktvariante weltweit überschneidungsfrei identifiziert werden. Bereits im Jahr 2009 wurde die EAN durch die international gültige Bezeichnung GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) ersetzt. Hierzulande wird allerdings weiterhin oft die Bezeichnung EAN verwendet. Unterschiede zwischen EAN und GTIN gibt es keine.

• Was sind HAP und EVP und wann nutze ich welchen Preis?

  HAP – Höchster Händlerabgabepreis: Der HAP wird häufig von größeren Herstellerinnen oder Labels genutzt, die ihre Musikprodukte über Zwischenhändler in den Einzelhandel bringen. Bei der Nutzung des HAP ist die Angabe einer EAN/GTIN erforderlich.

  EVP – Endverbraucherpreis, Endverkaufspreis oder auch Detailverkaufspreis: Der EVP wird häufig von kleineren Herstellern verwendet, wenn sie Musikprodukte direkt vertreiben, wie Musikerinnen, die ihre Alben auf Tournee an die Konzertbesucher verkaufen.

• Do I have to report anything afterwards?

  Please always submit event notifications with specific dates such as place, date, attendance (where applicable), etc. In the case of specific event types, e.g. concerts, we also need you to submit the net ticket sales figures once you have them. To do this, you can use the function in the Online Portal.

  In the case of live events, i.e. events with bands/musicians, you must submit a setlist.  You can do this on the Online Portal under My setlists.

• When is a public event free of charge from a GEMA perspective? Do I need to notify GEMA if my event is free of charge?

  Public events featuring music must be registered with GEMA and are subject to royalty payments — even if there is no admission charge. An exception applies to events organised by youth welfare services, social welfare services, care for the elderly and charitable organisations, as well as prisoner support services, provided that participation is restricted to a specific group of people and no third party is pursuing a commercial purpose.

  Please register the events with us nonetheless and submit the relevant supporting documents. The registration requirement also applies to

  • events without GEMA repertoire
  • folklore and traditional music
  • blanket or quota contracts (generally)

  Find out more on our page on free events organised by GEMA.

• Which tariff is the right one?

  The applicable GEMA tariff is determined by three criteria: type of use (event, permanent use, internet, sound recordings), place of use and scope of use.
  
  You can determine the correct tariff using the price calculator on the GEMA online portal. You can register tariffs for events, permanent music use, music on the internet and music products such as sound recordings and audiovisual recordings directly via the online portal. If your tariff does not appear on the online portal, it is one of the few tariffs that have not yet been integrated. You can register these tariffs using a form or questionnaire.

  All tariffs are therefore available to you in the tariff overview, categorised by type of use and sector, with links to the relevant tariff sheets. On the left, select the type of music use; on the right, select the sector; on the tariff page, download the questionnaire or form and use it to register.

• Which form do I use for my music notification?

  For most tariffs, you can use the price calculator on the GEMA online portal, which provides an instant quote. Form-based registrations are only required for the few tariffs that are not yet integrated into the online portal. You can find the relevant registration forms on the overview page for tariffs that are not yet available on the GEMA online portal. There you will find detailed instructions on how to register for the relevant tariff.

• How can I report music uses?

  a) Event

  • Concert
  • Theatre performance
  • Festival
  • Party/celebration/dance/balls
  • Disco
  • Carnival
  • Processions/street parades
  • Mass
  • Self-made copies 
  • Film presentation/slide show etc.
  • Sports event
  • Spoken word cabaret, comedy, reading etc.
  • Outdoor markets
     

  b) Permanent music use

  • Retail, service sector, doctors etc.
  • Catering, restaurants and hotels etc.
  • Hotel and guest rooms 
  • Music in amusement halls
  • Swimming pools, saunas, indoor climbing walls etc.
  • Copying of sheet music
  • Self-made copies
     

  c) Music on the internet

  d) Audio recordings and audiovisual recordings

  • music products such as CDs and vinyl
  • products with mixed content such as cinema films on DVD and radio plays 

  in the GEMA Online Portal. That is quick and easy. Here, the first step is to determine the price via our  price calculator.

  e) Certain tariffs are not included in the price calculator yet. You can register these by using a form and/or sending us an e-mail, for example. These tariffs are shown in our tariff overview.

  Here you will find an explanatory video about music registration and the benefits of music

  If you're not sure what the difference is between a concert and an event, you can watch this explanatory video.

  Additional information on your music notification is included in our video.