FAQ - frequently asked questions
If you publicly use music from the GEMA repertoire, you are legally obliged to obtain the rights for this. This has obviously not been done in your case. After GEMA sent you an unsuccessful reminder, our law firm was instructed by GEMA to collect the outstanding amount. Therefore, please contact us exclusively regarding the claim.
I have received a request for payment from you on behalf of GEMA. What kind of invoice is this, I have not concluded a contract with GEMA?
You must observe the applicable notice periods. You are still obliged to pay the GEMA licenses until this date. You have contractually agreed this with GEMA and you must adhere to this. You can find the exact termination date in your contract documents or on GEMA's online portal.
I have terminated my contract with GEMA. Why do I still have to pay?
When a trade is deregistered, the contract with GEMA does not automatically expire. This must be terminated separately. You are therefore obliged to pay the invoice amount and our costs. Here you can find more information about the termination.
I have dissolved my business, why have I still received a request for payment?
If you have a contract with GEMA, then you have undertaken to pay the GEMA fee at a fixed point in time without an invoice having to be sent to you beforehand.
You can usually find the invoice in your area on GEMA's online portal. If you are not yet registered here, you can also do so by clicking on the above link.
I never received an invoice from GEMA and did not know that I had to make a payment. How do I get the original invoice now?
The GEMA fee was probably not paid on time and was only received when our law firm had already been instructed to enforce the claim. In the event of late payment, you are also obliged to pay the legal fees incurred.
I have already paid my GEMA fee. Nevertheless, I have received a demand letter. Could this be a mistake?
The price information is only non-binding information. Depending on the type of event, a lot of information, such as the number of visitors, the size of the room or any admission fees, may be relevant. In some cases, these can only be determined after the event has taken place. Further information can be found here.
I have registered my event with GEMA. Now I have received a higher invoice than the price information provided by GEMA in advance.
From a legal point of view, it is first of all assumed that the music you are playing belongs to the repertoire of GEMA or one of its foreign sister societies and that you should therefore have registered the use or concluded a contract with GEMA. This has not yet happened. Please contact us directly for further information.
I have received an invoice from GEMA. I only play GEMA-free music or foreign music.
To find out your specific type of use, you are welcome to use the tariff calculator.
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You can also find answers to further questions on GEMA's help page. For all other questions about licensing, you can contact the GEMA CustomerCenter.
The contact details are:
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I would like to license music from GEMA in the future. Who can I contact with my request?
GEMA KundenCenter, 11506 Berlin
If you do not respond or do not pay the outstanding amount, the claims will have to be enforced with legal assistance. This will inevitably lead to further costs, which will be charged to you as the defaulting debtor. Please also bear in mind that the costs of the court proceedings may exceed the amount of the original claim, especially in the case of smaller claims.
What happens if I do not respond to your letters?
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