LICENSE PROCESSING
Every sound carrier production must be registered with the national collecting society.
In Germany, this is GEMA.
GEMA
There are basically four ways to register:
- GEMA-free titles:
Even if all titles on the sound carrier are GEMA-free, the reproduction must be reported. There are no costs involved.
All you have to do is apply for a GEMA exemption.
You send the GEMA license application directly to the GEMA Industrial Directorate, which will send us a copy of the exemption upon receipt. - Titles subject to GEMA (promotional copies):
If all titles are subject to GEMA, but are promotional copies (i.e. they are not sold and do not exceed a print run of 500 copies), a minimum GEMA fee of €0.64 per CD and €0.50 per LP applies. - GEMA-liable titles (sale):
If all titles are subject to GEMA and the sound carrier is to be sold, the license fee depends on the retail price (HAP).
With a HAP of €15, this results in royalties of €2.06 per sound carrier, which corresponds to 13.75% of the net price.
We recommend that you make the GEMA duplication declaration yourself.
GEMA will then invoice any licenses to be paid directly, which offers the advantage of the lower GEMA value-added tax of only 7%. - GEMA members with their own works (production notification PDF):
The first edition of a sound carrier with a maximum of 500 copies is licensed upon application with a lump sum payment of € 70.00 plus.
7 % VAT.
The production must be explicitly registered as “own repertoire” and have a predominantly promotional character.
A maximum of 100 copies (or 20% of the print run) may be sold.
Consent to the tariff for “members with their own works” must be given by the signature of all authors and publishers involved.
This tariff does not apply if one of the authors is a member of a foreign collecting society.
However, the combination of GEMA member and non-member of a collecting society is possible.
Repressings are excluded and will be charged at the VR-T-H 1 or VR-T-H 2 tariff.
This tariff applies to:- First edition of a sound carrier with a maximum print run of 500 copies
- Demonstration sound carrier for a specific occasion with its own repertoire
If you are responsible for the GEMA duplication report and the GEMA feedback (exemption), we need a copy of your GEMA duplication report.
Please enter our address as the reproducer.
Send the completed license application to:
GEMA General Management
Rosenheimer Str. 11
81667 Munich
Phone: 089 48003 00
Fax: 089 48003 969
Please fill out the GEMA license application legibly, as illegible forms will not be processed by GEMA.
GVL
GVL (Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten mbH, Berlin) administers the rights of both producers of sound recordings and performers and issues the so-called LC (Label Code).
GVL represents the broadcasting rights of performers and producers of sound recordings vis-à-vis radio and television and invoices the broadcasting remuneration for its members.
GVL’s income is distributed to the recording companies and artists in proportion to the broadcast minutes.
You only need an LC if your sound carrier is played on the radio, as the LC signals to the broadcasters that you agree to the broadcast.
Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten GmbH (GVL)
Podbielskiallee 64
14195 Berlin
Phone: +49 30 48483-600
Fax: +49 30 48483-700
www.gvl.de | gvl@gvl.de
Other collecting societies
Depending on the country, there are different collecting societies that are responsible for rights management.
Some examples are
- AKM (Austria): Austro Mechana
- SUISA (Switzerland): Swiss Society for the Rights of Authors of Musical Works
- MCPS-PRS (UK): Mechanical-Copyright Protection, PRS – Performing Right Society
- SACEM (France): Société des auteurs compositeurs et éditeurs de musique
- TONO (Norway): Copyright collective for authors and composers of musical works
- SIAE (Italy): Società Italiani degli Autori ed Editori
- IMRO (Ireland): Irish Music Rights Organization
- ZAIKS (Poland): Związek Autorów i Kompozytorów Scenicznych
- SGAE (Spain): Sociedad General de Autores y Editores
- KODA (Denmark): Copyrights for composers, songwriters and music publishers
The responsible national collecting society can usually be found by a simple online search or by contacting international music associations such as the CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers).
The CISAC website provides a list of member societies worldwide and helps to identify the right society for each country.