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Performing Rights Organisation · Germany

How to register with GEMA.

Register with GEMA, Germany's performing rights and mechanical rights organization, to collect both performance and mechanical royalties from radio, TV, streaming, and live performances in Germany and internationally.

⏱ 30–45 minutes (plus 1–2 week postal wait)Performance royaltiesMechanical royalties
1

Check Your Eligibility

GEMA is for composers, lyricists, and music publishers. Pure performers (who perform but don't write) should use GVL instead.


Eligibility checklist:

  • You wrote the music or lyrics of at least one song
  • The song has been or will be publicly performed/broadcast/released
  • You are not already a member of another German society

    • Each band member applies separately — there is no group membership.


    Membership tiers: New creators join as "Associate Members" initially. After five years of significant earnings, you can graduate to "Full Membership" with additional governance rights.

    Why this matters

    Applying as a performer-only (and not a songwriter) will likely result in rejection and delay. GEMA membership is specifically for rights in compositions, not master recordings.

    Common mistake

    Bands applying as a group. GEMA requires individual membership per songwriter. Each writer in the band must apply and will receive their own account and IPI number.

    2

    Apply for GEMA Membership

    Apply online at gema.de. GEMA also offers a live calculator on their website to help you estimate whether potential royalties will justify membership costs before applying.


    Have ready:

  • Government-issued photo ID
  • Date of birth
  • Contact information and mailing address
  • Any pseudonyms you use as an artist

    • Costs:

  • Creators: €107.10 one-time admission fee + €50 annual membership fee
  • Publishers: €214.20 one-time admission fee + €100 annual fee
  • Fees waived if you are under 30

    • DEADLINE: Apply before October 31 to begin collecting royalties for the current calendar year. Applications after November 1 start January 1 of the following year.

    Apply at GEMA →GEMA Live Calculator
    Why this matters

    The October 31 deadline has significant financial consequences. An artist who applies on November 2 instead of October 30 loses an entire year of royalty collection from Germany's streaming and broadcasting market.

    Common mistake

    Missing the October 31 deadline. Set a calendar reminder — this is one of the most financially impactful dates in German music rights.

    3

    Sign the Deed of Assignment

    Once your application is reviewed, GEMA will provide a Deed of Assignment. Sign this to officially transfer the fiduciary management of your rights to GEMA.


    Important: This document does NOT transfer ownership of your music. It only grants GEMA the right to collect royalties on your behalf. You retain full ownership.

    Why this matters

    Without signing the Deed of Assignment, your membership is not active and GEMA cannot legally collect on your behalf.

    Common mistake

    Being alarmed by the "transfer of rights" language. This is standard across all collection societies — GEMA is collecting, not owning.

    4

    Activate the Online Portal

    GEMA will send your membership number in a physical letter (1–2 weeks). Use it to activate your account at portal.gema.de and enable 2-Factor Authentication.


    Portal access is required to register works — you cannot register works without activating the portal first.

    GEMA Online Portal →
    Why this matters

    The portal is the gateway to all work registrations. No portal access = no ability to register your catalog = no royalty collection on any of your tracks.

    Common mistake

    Not setting up 2FA. GEMA's portal requires 2FA for security. Have your phone ready when activating.

    5

    Register Each Work (Careful with Titles)

    In the portal, register each composition under Work Notifications. For each work:

  • Title — must not contain umlauts or special characters (ä→ae, ö→oe, ü→ue, ß→ss)
  • Duration (required)
  • Genre (affects point value — classical/jazz benefits from score upload)
  • Your writer share %
  • Co-writer names and IPI numbers
  • ISRC codes for each recording

    • Register each track before release if possible.

    GEMA Work Registration Portal →
    Why this matters

    Works must be registered before GEMA can match usage reports to them. Registering after release is still possible, but any plays before registration date may not be retroactively claimable.

    Common mistake

    Using German special characters (Ä, Ö, Ü, ß) in the title field. GEMA's system requires standard ASCII. "Münchener Nächte" must be entered as "Muenchener Naechte."

    6

    AV Notification for Sync Placements

    If any of your music is used in film, TV, advertising, or online video, you need to file a separate AV Notification with GEMA in addition to the standard work registration.


    This is a separate process from the standard work notification and is easy to miss.

    GEMA AV Notification →
    Why this matters

    Sync placements generate significant royalties through GEMA, but only if the AV placement is separately reported. The standard work notification alone does not trigger sync royalty distribution.

    Common mistake

    Assuming the work registration covers sync usage. It doesn't — AV placements need a separate notification with the specific production details.

    After you register

    GEMA handles both performance and mechanical royalties for compositions, but does NOT cover neighbouring rights for your master recording. If you perform your own recordings, also register with GVL.

    Rekon tracks whether you're actually registered with GEMA — and 36 others.

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