GEMA
18 August 2006
Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte
(Society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights)
This is the German RoyaltyOrganizations, collecting performance royalties for radio,TV, bar, club and online performances.
The GEMA makes no profit: all earnings minus administrative costs are payed to domestic and international authors whose works were performed.
Monitoring of the German airwaves is excellent (for Performance Royalties, and non-German authors can expect to actually see money sent via GEMA to their own organization (BMI etc.)
Pressing plants in Germany also collect Mechanical Royalties which are routed to GEMA who then pay that to the copyright holder. If you yourself are the copyright holder and the person pressing the record this means that they hold your money for 6 months.
If you are not a member of GEMA you may inform the plant and you won't have to pay this (Freischaltung).
see Pressing Plants and Mechanical Royalties
As in most european countries, when you play at a club you may submit a plalist stating what records or songs you played. Money will then be routed to those artists. Not too many people bother to do this, but there is a large amount of money each year distributed this way. Submit your playlists so that your favorite artists get the money they deserve.
