GEMA
GEMA (Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte) is Germany's collecting society for composers, lyricists, and music publishers. It licenses public performance, broadcast, and reproduction of musical works, collects the fees, and distributes them as royalties to its members. Through reciprocal agreements in the CISAC network, GEMA also collects for German works used abroad.
What GEMA collects
GEMA collects on two fronts for the musical work. Performance royalties come from public use: concerts, clubs, radio and TV, background music in shops, and the performance share of streaming. Mechanical royalties come from reproduction: pressings, downloads, and the mechanical share of streaming. Venues, broadcasters, and digital services pay license fees to GEMA, which distributes them to the registered writers and publishers of each work based on usage reports. Important scope note: all of this concerns the composition and lyrics. Income for the recording itself (master royalties from your distributor and neighbouring rights via GVL) flows through separate channels.
How GEMA membership works
You join GEMA as a composer, lyricist, or publisher; membership gives you an IPI number and access to the works database. From then on you register each work you write (title, co-writers, shares), and GEMA matches usage to your registrations and pays out on its distribution schedule. Through reciprocal agreements with sister societies in the CISAC network, GEMA also collects when your works are played abroad, so one membership covers international usage. Writers who release through bbn.music keep distribution and GEMA membership cleanly separate: distribution pays the recording side, GEMA pays the work side, and both run in parallel.
GEMA and your label
A label deals with GEMA on the publishing side, and only if it chooses to. In BBN Label Suite, publishing is opt-in: labels whose writers are GEMA members manage works, writers, and shares in the platform and export registrations as CWR files that GEMA and other CISAC societies process directly. Master-focused labels skip the publishing setup entirely and still distribute to 35+ stores in 195 countries. If your roster writes its own material, activating publishing means the same catalogue data registers works, keeps shares consistent, and gets songwriters paid on both sides of the business.
Frequently asked questions
Does GEMA pay labels or artists?
GEMA pays composers, lyricists, and publishers — the rights holders of the work. Income for the recording itself reaches artists and labels through their distributor, and performer and producer neighbouring rights in Germany are handled by GVL.
Do I need GEMA membership to release music?
No. Distribution and master royalties work without it. GEMA membership adds publishing royalties on top if you write your own material.
What is the difference between GEMA and GVL?
GEMA represents the work side: composers, lyricists, publishers. GVL represents the recording side: performers and producers, collecting neighbouring rights for broadcast and public playback in Germany.