This is how you report your music at trade fairs – your GEMA license

the sound of music

Your GEMA license

How you design and set up your exhibition booth is a determining factor how many visitors are attracted to it during a trade fair. It is the stage where you can present your company in a special (spot)light. What’s important is to create an inviting atmosphere. And for a good reason, you rely on music to do this. You want even more? Just combine music with a video. Or do you want it to be all-inclusive? In that case, you could even organise a party at your booth and play music.

Those who play music in public, do, however, need the permission of the creators. As a collective management organisation, we look after their exploitation rights. That means that you get a license from us - GEMA - to play music at your trade fair booth. Just buy the required ticket and play the music you want. Have fun and success with... the Sound of Music!

Simple, quick, legally compliant. 3 tickets to choose from. Buy first, listen later.

Tagesticket „Audio“

Listen To The Music

DAY TICKET "AUDIO"
For music at booths

Tagesticket „Audio + Video“

More, More, More

DAY TICKET "AUDIO + VIDEO"
For music at the booth and video playback (depends on sq ft)

Tagesticket „All inclusive“

I Want It All

DAY TICKET "ALL INCLUSIVE"
For music at the booth and video playback + booth party (depends on sq ft)

We help you with your registration

Please indicate the scope of music use at your trade fair booth. A member of the GEMA field service helps you with your registration; they will provide you with the required day ticket once you have settled your bill. After that, you are done with everything, no further steps required, and you are on the safe side legally. Sounds good, right?

If you do not have contact with a GEMA employee, read here how to register online.

separate license for concerts

Why you register Robbie Williams & Co. separately

The 3 different day tickets cover the most common types of music use at trade fair booths. The good thing about it: You only pay for what you are using. That is why concerts are not included in any of the 3 tickets, not even in the all-inclusive ticket. Otherwise, the price for that would be higher.

If you really want to hold a concert at your trade fair booth, irrespective whether you want to hire a local band or one of the big names in pop or rock, you need to register the respective event separately. A member of the GEMA field service is happy to help you with that.

Why do I have to pay GEMA for trade fair booths?

You might ask yourself why you, as the organiser of a trade fair booth, have to pay GEMA. We are an association and as such do not make any profit but pay through our collected income to our 90,000+ members. They compose songs, write lyrics or publish music. When it comes to their creative work, they wish to be remunerated fairly whenever their music is used in public, e.g. in your salon, studio or shop.

The right to an adequate remuneration is laid down by copyright law. By the way: copyright is applicable in any case - and thus independently of GEMA as an organisation. You do have an advantage using us: Instead of having to contact and pay each creator individually, you simply get in touch with us, and thus get access to the musical world repertoire. After all, we do not just represent the rights of our members but of more than two million rightsholders abroad as well.

Warum muss ich als Messestand an die GEMA zahlen?

Sie fragen sich womöglich, warum Sie als Messestand an die GEMA zahlen. Als Verein machen wir damit keinen Gewinn, sondern schütten die Einnahmen an unsere über 90.000 Mitglieder aus. Sie komponieren, schreiben Liedtexte oder verlegen Musik. Für ihre kreative Leistung möchten sie fair entlohnt werden, wenn ihre Musik öffentlich genutzt wird – wie z. B. in Ihrem Salon, Studio oder Shop. Das Recht auf eine angemessene Vergütung ist im Urheberrecht gesetzlich festgelegt. Das Urheberrecht gilt übrigens unabhängig von der GEMA. Sie haben jedoch einen Vorteil mit uns: Statt jeden Urheber und jede Urheberin einzeln zu kontaktieren und zu bezahlen, wenden Sie sich an uns – und erhalten Zugang zum musikalischen Weltrepertoire. Denn wir vertreten nicht nur die Rechte unserer Mitglieder, sondern auch von mehr als zwei Millionen Berechtigten im Ausland.

Musik am Messestand online anmelden – so funktioniert's

If you would like to register your music use independently without a GEMA field staff member, you can do so around the clock in our online portal. To do so, select the option "Fair" in the price calculator. The system will then ask you for all the information you need. Please note that you cannot solve the packages described above in the online portal. If you use music in several ways, such as background music and video with music, please register these uses separately.

Preis berechnen und Musik anmelden

FAQ – frequently asked questions about GEMA and the fair

Why do I have to register the music?

Whenever you use music in public in Germany, you need a license. This is stipulated by copyright law.

Where can I register the music?

With GEMA, the society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights. You pay the respective amount and we issue you with a license to play music at your trade fair booth.

What is GEMA?

GEMA is a collective management organisation. We manage rights of creators and ensure that they get their fair pay whenever their music is used in public, such as at your trade fair booth.

What do I have to register additionally as a principle?

First things first: We distinguish between background music (permanent, constant music use) and events.
Background music is referred to as the constant exposure to music of customers who are thus acoustically accompanied in a gentle way on their journey through the trade fair booths. It creates a feel-good atmosphere while remaining in the background. The license is acquired with one of the three tickets (this means that it does not have to be registered additionally).

Events, on the other hand, are time-limited individual sessions including booth parties which are only included in the “all inclusive” ticket. For all other events such as DJ events, music comedies, horse shows, live music interludes, you require a separate license, in other words, you register them separately.

Characteristics of events are, among other things, that they are taking place for a specific reason, that they are possibly advertised in the run-up, that they serve the purpose of targeted entertainment for the visitors and that you as the organiser of the trade fair booth need to pay an additional fee for them.

What is considered tariff-relevant floor space?

Tariff-relevant floor space is the area used for the calculation of the license fee. The following applies: You often only use part of the trade fair hall for your booth. The tariff-relevant floor space is, however, not just your trade fair booth but is extended by the entire catchment area where your music can be heard. This includes the audience area in the vicinity of your booth and the aisles where people where people are regularly present and can listen to the musical works. The tariff feature is completed by a well-estimated number of walk-in visitors or footfall.

FAQ — häufige Fragen von Musikvereinen an die GEMA

Wann muss ich bei der GEMA Musik anmelden?

Am besten nutzen Sie unser Hilfecenter. Dort finden Sie die Antwort auf Ihre Frage – und die richtigen Ansprechpartner.

Bei Fragen zu pauschalvertragsrelevanten Inhalten, wenden Sie sich bitte an den jeweiligen Ansprechpartner ihres Verbandes.

Was passiert, wenn ich meine Veranstaltung nicht melde?

Besteht die Möglichkeit, Nachlässe zu erhalten?

Wann ist ein Musikstück GEMA frei?

Ich nutze nur GEMA freie Musik; wird dies berücksichtigt und worauf muss ich achten?

Kann ich ein Konzert der ernsten Musik über das Onlineportal melden und welche Meldefristen gelten dafür?

Was ist eine „Setlist“?

Welche Angaben muss die Setlist enthalten?

Sind Benefizkonzerte kostenlos?

An wen kann ich mich wenden, wenn ich sonst Fragen habe?

Get help – quickly!

If you need us, our help centre offers answers to your questions – it is quick and easy to use and accessible to you 24/7 – and there are no waiting times.

Go to the help centre

Schematic illustration of the help centre