Avoid GEMA? These music solutions are permitted for clubs

When an association plays music in public, it generally has to pay GEMA – but Bavaria and other federal states offer collective agreements, discounts, and exemptions that you should be aware of. This guide outlines the state rules, a comparison of the federal states, and clear steps for association registration.

Fundamentals: GEMA obligation for clubs

GEMA manages the copyrights of composers, lyricists, and music publishers. As soon as your club plays music publicly, a royalty obligation arises – regardless of whether it is live music, a DJ, sound recordings, or streaming. What is decisive is not the entrance fee, but the public nature of the event.

When is an event public?

A musical performance is considered public as soon as persons participate who are not connected by personal relationships. For associations, this means specifically:

• Subject to GEMA royalties Summer festival, club ball, benefit gala, open day, sports tournament with supporting programme, public training session, background music in the club house during opening hours.
• Not subject to GEMA: Members' meeting exclusively for registered members, board meetings, private gathering amongst close family and friends.

Club celebration: public or private?

Many associations believe an internal celebration is automatically fee-free. This is a misconception. As soon as guests (spouses, sponsors, patrons) are invited or the event is advertised, it is considered public. In case of doubt, GEMA verifies strictly – a subsequent report with a surcharge for inspection costs is considerably more expensive than registering correctly in advance.

Bavaria: Regional Advantages and Overall Contracts

Bavaria is the federal state with the strongest relief for clubs. In addition to the state programme for free admission events, there are several framework agreements that noticeably reduce GEMA costs.

BLSV General Agreement (Bavarian State Sports Association)

The BLSV has negotiated a framework agreement with GEMA which applies to all of its approximately 11,500 member associations. The key conditions are:

• Sports-related music covered by a flat fee: Training, competition sound systems without a show character, and training operations in sports halls fall under the umbrella association flat rate.
• Discount for club events: Up to 20 percent off standard rates for summer parties, annual general meetings, and awards ceremonies.
• Simplified billing Message about the BLSV portal with direct GEMA interface.

Collective Agreement Music Associations (MON – Music Association of Upper and Lower Bavaria)

The Bavarian Music Federation and its sub-organisations (MON, ASM, NBMB) have concluded overall agreements for brass music associations. Member associations pay reduced flat rates for:

• Open-air concerts and town square concerts in the town centre
• Christmas and Spring Concerts
• Trial operation in club-owned premises
• Musical accompaniment of traditional events

The discounts range from 25 to 40 percent, depending on the type of event. Active membership in the respective district association is a prerequisite.

Traditional costume and marksmen's associations

For traditional costume associations, a separate framework agreement applies via the Bavarian Traditional Costume Association (BTV), which covers folk evenings, traditional costume competitions, and traditional costume balls. Shooting clubs are included in the overall BLSV contract via the Bavarian Sports Shooters Association (BSSB) – however, shooting festivals with music must be registered separately, as the festival rather than the sporting character predominates.

Traditional events: Folk festivals and strong beer festivals

Volksfests, strong beer festivals and church consecrations are deeply rooted in Bavaria – but the GEMA (German performing rights society) also has a presence here. Important rules:

• M-U Tariff: Entertainment music with dancing, staggered by area and duration.
• Strong Beer Bonus Traditional strong beer festivals with a pure brass band programme benefit from the overall contract of the Brass Band Association.
• Beer tent sound system: Background music outside of dancing times runs according to tariff M-U III (reduced).

Comparison of federal states: Which rules apply where?

Not every federal state offers clubs the same conditions. The following overview shows the most important overall contracts and regional specialities.

The following also apply nationwide:

• DOSB Framework Agreement Covers the sports activities of all member clubs of the State Sports Federations.
• Church associations Framework agreements with the EKD and the German Bishops' Conference for church concerts and community festivals.
• Federation of German Music Associations (BDM) Framework agreement for music associations outside regional umbrella organisations.
• Country-specific surcharges: Regional surcharges of 5 to 15 percent may apply for open-air events in tourist regions (North Sea, Alpine region).

Step-by-step: Registering a society with GEMA

The registration process is standardised – those who follow the order will avoid back payments and control surcharges.

1. Check if royalties are due to GEMA: First, clarify whether the event is public. Member meetings without guests are free of charge, all other formats are almost always subject to a fee.
2. Check framework agreement discount: Ask your umbrella organisation (BLSV, BMB, DOSB, Trachten- or Schützenverband) for the membership number and the appropriate framework agreement. Discounts only apply with a valid membership certificate.
3. Online or postal registration: Submit at least three working days before the event via the GEMA online portal (event type, date, area, number of participants, admission fee).
4. Choose a tariff M-V1 or M-V3 for club events, M-SP for sports events, M-U for entertainment music with dancing, U-V for live balls. The tariff choice determines the amount of the fee.
5. Post-event billing: Within ten days, submit setlists and the actual number of attendees. Invoices are usually sent four to six weeks later.

Exceptions and Exemptions

The Copyright Act (UrhG) contains several privileges that relieve associations. Three exceptions are particularly relevant:

Youth Music Exception (§ 52 Copyright Act)

Music events organised by youth services, social welfare, elderly care and welfare services, and child and youth services are exempt from fees if they are not for profit and the performing artists do not receive remuneration. This applies to youth concerts, social benefits and school cooperatives.

Ad-free events

Events for which no advertisement or public announcement is made and which take place exclusively within the closest circle of members (without guests and relatives) are considered non-public. The demarcation is strict – even a notice on the noticeboard can be sufficient to establish public status.

Further privileges under § 52 UrhG

• School celebrations: Free of charge within the scope of regular school operations.
• Services and church celebrations: Covered by framework agreements of the churches.
• Club and Company Anniversaries: Only then freed, if they take place strictly closed and no external guests are invited.

Royalty-free music as a clever addition

For background music in the club house, sports classes or training sessions, it is worth looking at GEMA-free music. These titles are not licensed by GEMA – a usage right is acquired directly from the provider, usually at a fraction of the GEMA fees. For club events featuring chart hits, however, a GEMA-liable licence remains indispensable. A hybrid strategy combines both worlds – further industry examples can be found at sonicsense Industries.

Conclusion: Use regional contracts, meet deadlines

The GEMA landscape for associations will be very regionally diverse in 2026. Those who are aware of the appropriate master agreements – in Bavaria, BLSV, Blasmusikbund, and BTV; nationwide, DOSB – will save 20 to 40 percent depending on the event. Timely registration at least three working days before the event and clean settlement afterwards are crucial. Associations that want to outsource the administrative effort can rely on full-service partners such as sonicsense.