When does GEMA membership make sense for me?

GEMA membership makes financial sense if your musical works are performed in public, broadcast on the radio or television, or released on commercial sound recordings during the current or immediately following calendar year. You can check whether it is financially viable using the GEMA Live Calculator, which compares the expected distributions with the membership fees. As a GEMA member, you assign your rights of use to GEMA and must therefore also acquire licences for concerts you organise yourself or sound recordings you produce yourself. These licence revenues are distributed back to you after deduction of administrative costs. Membership without regular commercial exploitation results in a financial disadvantage.