Works & repertoire

Only if you register your works can we collect the royalties for them. Everything to do with work registration and documentation.

Submit a notification for your works

  • By when do I have to submit a work notification?

    Please submit a work notification in good time so that we can include you in the pay-out. Deadlines differ depending on the category. We created an overview with the key deadlines for you:

    Key deadlines

    Important: If you notify us of the works after the deadlines have expired and they are not included in the distribution, you have no right to submit a complaint/claim (§ 36 GEMA distribution plan).

    Simply register your works via the work declaration in our Online Portal.

  • A co-author is member of another collective management organisation. Do I have to notify them of joint works or is a work declaration to GEMA enough?

    It is sufficient if you notify us of your works and indicate all other involved co-authors in the course of the work declaration. Based on the representation agreements which we concluded with foreign collective management organisations your co-author will be considered for the distribution of royalties and also carries out the work declarations at his end.

  • I am a member of several collective management organisations. Where do I have to send my work declarations?

    If you have several collective management organisations manage individual rights or territories separately, you must also declare your works with all the collective management organisations separately so that all territories, rights and, where applicable, co-authors can be taken into account when usages occur.

  • My works are also used in other countries. Do I have to register them with GEMA only or also with the collective management organisation of the corresponding country?

    You do not need to register your works with another collective management organisation because we have entered into representation agreements with many foreign collective copyright management organisations. It is therefore enough if you declare all of your existing and future works to us.

    Exceptions:

    • You are also a member of one (or more) other collective copyright management organisation(s). Then you must also register your works there.

    • Your works are used in countries with which GEMA does not have a representation agreement.

  • My works are used in countries where GEMA does not have a representationagreement with another collective management organisation. What do I need to do?

    In that case, you, the author, must manage the licensing of your works directly. Please get in touch with the collective management organisation in the respective country.

  • Do I need to register all authors or only GEMA members?

    It is important that you really register all authors of a work. Irrespective whether these authors are GEMA members or not.

  • When I declare my work, why do you ask me whether the work is in the public domain (free of copyright)?

    If you notify us of your own works which you created alone, please always answer this question with ‘no’.

    To be in the public domain means that the author(s) of the original work which is now declared as an arrangement or as a musical setting (e.g. a poem by Goethe) are no longer subject to the term of protection.

    Please follow these steps whenever you want to declare an arrangement of a public domain work where the name of the composer and/or lyricist is unknown:

    1. Enter “39657154” in the field IP name number.

    2. Select DP and click on Apply.

    3. When you enter the roles e.g. composer, please tick the box Public domain and click on Apply.  


    About the term of protection:
    In Germany, the term of protection usually ends 70 years after the death of the longest surviving author.
    Example: An instrumental piece has two joint composers A and B. A died in 1948 and B in 1925. The work is in the public domain from 2019.

    If A and B have created a vocal piece together with lyricist C and C died in 1956, then the term of protection for this vocal piece relates to music and lyrics. This means: this vocal piece is not free of copyright or in the public domain until 2027. If you want to create a new arrangement of the music, you require a permission to arrange the work.

  • What is an ISWC? Why does my work not have an ISWC?

    The ISWC is an internationally recognised work number and unique identifiers for a work version (analogous to the ISBN). The ISWC makes the documentation and distribution exchange between collective management organisations more efficient. The ISWC has been developed by the Confédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Auteurs et Compositeurs (CISAC). CISAC also manages and develops the ISWC. The first ISWC was issued to the song Dancing Queen of ABBA (T-000000001-0) in 1995.

    ISWCs are only issued if all the contributors to a work have been identified in the IPI database, that is the international database of creators and publishers. If one of the contributors is not a member of a collective management organisation, the work will not be issued with an ISWC initially.

    You can view the ISWC of your work on the work confirmation, in our Online Portal or in the repertoire search.

  • What are TIS Codes? Where can I find information on the territory standard TIS?

    What are TIS Codes? Where can I find information on the territory standard TIS?

    The Territory Information System, TIS, is the multi-lingual territory standard of CISAC, the international umbrella organisation of the collective management organisations and contains all relevant information on territories. The standard is managed by GEMA and supervised by the TIS Management Committee.

    The codes and names of the countries have been adapted from ISO standard 3166.


    The document “Description of the territory standard TIS” contains a complete explanation of the standard as well as a conceptional data model with all relevant information objects and data elements.

    The document “TIS database: complete data” is a compressed access file which contains the complete TIS data. The territory list in Excel file format can be accessed under “Analysis: Territory list”. Hierarchical analyses of the territories can be accessed under “Analysis: Hierarchies among territories (bottom-up/top-down).

    Please note that the file “TIS database: complete data” contains the binding TIS data pursuant to the data model and the definition of the territory standard. The document “Description of the changes in the TIS data from the first to the current edition” contains amendments which have been made in the TIS data from the first to the current edition.

  • How can I register my works with GEMA?

    If you are a registered publisher or GEMA member, you can also play your works. We also recommend that you do this, as you will only receive royalties for registered works. The registration of your Reporters at GEMA is also very effective via our online portal.

    1.      Go to the dashboard at register form .
    2.      You can find information about the weekends and work.
    3.      Check your data.
    4.      Send and receive on registration.

    You can find your workshop in your post office.

    Further information and weights of the event, in front of the event, can be found in the area of the Repertoire.

  • How can I ensure my works are protected?

    You do not need to do anything. Your works are automatically protected by German copyright. This applies to music, score materialand song lyrics, from the very moment they are created.

Need anymore help? Get in touch!

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