Guide · Germany
GEMA licence for bars and restaurants in Germany
A GEMA licence for bars in Germany is needed as soon as music plays for guests: background music, radio, TV or an event night. This guide explains which GEMA tariffs apply to hospitality, what the fee depends on and how to register through the GEMA online portal. It is general information, not legal advice.
In short
- Register your music with GEMA before you play it in public
- Background music and events are licensed separately
- The fee mainly depends on the room size (in 100 m² steps) and the type of use
- GEMA also collects for GVL, VG Wort and Corint Media
What GEMA is and whom it collects for
GEMA is the German collecting society for composers, lyricists and music publishers. When your bar, restaurant or café plays music to guests, that is a public use of music, and GEMA grants the licence for it.
For public performance, GEMA also collects on behalf of other societies: the GVL (rights of performers and record producers), VG Wort (text authors) and Corint Media (broadcasters). You deal with one contract; your invoice lists the share of each society separately.
Which GEMA tariff fits which use
GEMA lists these tariffs for hospitality venues. Its calculator picks the right one when you describe your use.
| Use | GEMA tariff | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Background music from recordings (CDs, streaming, your own files) | M-U III | Also part of the package "Gastronomie S" |
| Radio | R II | Also part of the package "Gastronomie S" |
| TV and video | FS I | Depends on the screen size; the packages "Gastronomie M" and "L" include TV and video use |
| Events with recorded music or a DJ | M-V (DJ services: VR-Ö) | Registered separately for each event |
| Events with live music | U-V | Registered separately for each event |
Tariff names as listed by GEMA for hospitality in October 2026. For prices, use GEMA’s calculator; tariffs change.
What the fee depends on
For background music, the key factor is the size of the rooms in which music can be heard. GEMA counts it in 100 m² steps (1–100 m², 101–200 m² and so on): the more potential listeners, the higher the fee. The type of venue and the kind of use also count, for example recordings only, or radio and TV as well.
For events, the size of the event and any admission fee matter. If admission includes a meal, GEMA explains on its hospitality page how the meal share is treated. Members of trade associations with a GEMA framework agreement (Gesamtvertrag) can receive a discount.
How to register background music with GEMA
This is the online procedure GEMA describes for permanent background music.
Note your rooms and uses
Write down every room where guests can hear music, its size in m², and what you play: recordings, radio, TV or video.
Calculate the price
Open the price calculator in the GEMA online portal, choose the permanent use ("dauerhaft") option and enter your details.
Log in or create an account
Sign in to the GEMA online portal or register as a new music user.
Complete the registration
Enter your venue data and submit the registration before the music starts; GEMA must be able to consent before you play.
Register events separately
Every party, DJ night or concert is registered on its own in the portal, in addition to your background music contract.
Keep the contract current
Use the portal to update your contract when rooms, uses or screens change.
When your venue changes
A larger room, a new terrace with speakers, a TV for match nights or a first DJ evening all change your music use. Update your background music contract in the online portal, and register each event before it takes place.
If you stop playing music, check the notice period in your contract. GEMA states a notice period of one month to the next due date for hospitality contracts.
Your own music and "GEMA-free" claims
Music from a CD, your own files or a streaming service is still public use when guests hear it. A personal streaming subscription does not replace the GEMA licence, and its terms usually exclude business use.
"GEMA-free" music can work, but only if the works really are outside GEMA’s repertoire, and you should keep proof of the rights. GEMA points out that compositions whose authors died at least 70 years ago are free; a recording of such a piece can still be protected. With GEMA-free music, you also give up GEMA’s worldwide repertoire.
How SkafRemix fits in
SkafRemix plans and plays the music of the night, but it supplies no commercial music. It plays your venue’s own licensed music, so your GEMA licence stays with your venue.
Because SkafRemix can also run screens, karaoke and event nights, look at those uses when you set up your GEMA contract: screens with video or a karaoke evening can need their own tariff or event registration.
GEMA checklist for your venue
- Measure every room where guests hear music
- List all music sources: recordings, radio, TV, video
- Calculate the price in the GEMA online portal
- Register before the first song plays
- Register each event separately
- Update the contract when rooms, screens or uses change
Official sources
Facts in this guide come from these GEMA pages (checked October 2026).
- GEMA: hospitality (Gastronomie) Tariffs and packages for hospitality, room size steps, societies GEMA collects for
- GEMA: register background music Online registration for permanent background music and fee criteria
- GEMA: how to register music Online portal, price calculator, registration before use
- GEMA: tariff M-U Background music with recordings, current tariff documents
- GEMA: what you need to know about GEMA fees When fees apply and music that is free of fees
More guides for your venue
Questions and answers
Does every bar or restaurant in Germany need a GEMA licence?
Yes, as soon as music is played for guests, because that is a public use of music. The only exception is music that is genuinely outside GEMA’s repertoire.
How much does GEMA cost for a restaurant?
There is no single price: the fee depends mainly on the room size in 100 m² steps and on the type of use. GEMA’s price calculator in the online portal shows your amount.
Does the GEMA licence also cover GVL?
Yes, for public performance GEMA also collects for the GVL, VG Wort and Corint Media. Your invoice shows each share separately.
Do I have to register before I play music?
Yes, GEMA asks you to register before the music plays so that it can consent. There is no fixed lead time, but earlier is better.
Does my background music licence cover a DJ night?
No, events are registered separately, for example under tariff M-V for recorded music or U-V for live music.
Is a GEMA licence included in SkafRemix?
No. SkafRemix plays your venue’s own licensed music; the GEMA licence stays with your venue.
Plan your music, keep your licences
We set up the music of your night with SkafRemix; your GEMA licence stays with your venue.
Tell us about your venue · we get back to you personally to plan sound, nights and pilot scope · no obligation