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Claiming unpaid International use

These types of use fall within the following distribution categories:

  • International Music Use (A)

  • International Mechanical Right (A VR)

Points to check

Did you register your works on time and they have been used but you have not received any royalties, or do you believe the royalties you received were too low?

Please go to our Online Portal to claim your missing royalties. Our simple interactive form will take you through a series of questions to gather the information we need to investigate your concern.

Before you make a claim, please note:

If your music was played in a foreign country, it often takes some time before we can pay out your royalties

And why is that?
CMOs in the various countries calculate royalties according to their own distribution rules, and GEMA then pays them out to you in its capacity as their contracting partner. This involves more work and therefore takes a bit longer.

By checking our distribution dates, you can find out quickly which distribution categories royalties have already been paid for. You also find information about the country and usage period concerned in our lists on the distribution of royalties for international music use.

Based on this, you may find that royalties for the period or distribution category you are looking for have not been paid yet because the distribution date for those royalties has not yet arrived.

In the Online Portal we ask step by step for the details we need to take care of your claim. In advance, you can already take a look here.

Information we need from you

We need the following information from you:

Live Performances

  • Date and time of the event

  • Name and address of the organiser of the event

  • Name and address of the event venue (including the room, if applicable)

  • Name of the artist or band

  • Setlist of the works performed (including work number, if known)

  • In the case of stage music, the title of the play

Radio

  • Title of the work and/or work number

  • Name of a composer

  • Name of the radio station

  • Date (and time) of broadcast/broadcasting period for jingles

  • Title of the programme

For commercials in addition:

  • Title of the commercial

  • Name of the product advertised and theme

  • Broadcasting period

  • If you have any placement schedules, that would be very helpful.

Commissioned productions of a TV channel and third-party productions

  • Title of the work and/or work number

  • Title of the programme/film

  • Name of the TV channel

  • Date (and time) of broadcast

  • GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work)

For commercials in addition:

  • Title of the commercial

  • Name of the product advertised and theme

  • Broadcasting period

  • If you have any placement schedules, that would be very helpful.

Cinema

  • Title of the work and/or work number

  • Name of a composer

  • Title of the film

  • Screening period

  • Number of screenings

  • GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work)

Online Use
(for use outside the ICE Home Territories or Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix or a similar platform outside Germany)

  • Name of online platform (DSP), e.g. Spotify or YouTube

  • Release date on online platform (DSP)

  • Direct link to the work on the respective online platform (DSP) (not in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)

  • Usage period

  • Number of streams or views in the usage period

  • Title of the film (in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)

  • Title of the work

  • Work number

  • Date of registration of work with GEMA

  • International Standard Recording Code (ISRC)

  • GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work) (only in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)

  • Artist (not in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)

Audio Media/Audio-Visual Media

  • Title of audio medium

  • Release date

  • Type of audio medium, e.g. CD, Vinyl, DVD

  • Name and address of manufacturer

  • Number of copies

  • Title of the work

  • Work number

  • Artist

Deadline for claiming missing royalties:
18 months after the distribution date

Information we need from you

We need the following information from you:

Live Performances

  • Date and time of the event

  • Name and address of the organiser of the event

  • Name and address of the event venue (including the room, if applicable)

  • Name of the artist or band

  • Setlist of the works performed (including work number, if known)

  • In the case of stage music, the title of the play

Radio

  • Title of the work and/or work number

  • Name of a composer

  • Name of the radio station

  • Date (and time) of broadcast/broadcasting period for jingles

  • Title of the programme

For commercials in addition:

  • Title of the commercial

  • Name of the product advertised and theme

  • Broadcasting period

  • If you have any placement schedules, that would be very helpful.

Commissioned productions of a TV channel and third-party productions

  • Title of the work and/or work number

  • Title of the programme/film

  • Name of the TV channel

  • Date (and time) of broadcast

  • GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work)

For commercials in addition:

  • Title of the commercial

  • Name of the product advertised and theme

  • Broadcasting period

  • If you have any placement schedules, that would be very helpful.

Cinema

  • Title of the work and/or work number

  • Name of a composer

  • Title of the film

  • Screening period

  • Number of screenings

  • GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work)

Online Use
(for use outside the ICE Home Territories or Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix or a similar platform outside Germany)

  • Name of online platform (DSP), e.g. Spotify or YouTube

  • Release date on online platform (DSP)

  • Direct link to the work on the respective online platform (DSP) (not in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)

  • Usage period

  • Number of streams or views in the usage period

  • Title of the film (in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)

  • Title of the work

  • Work number

  • Date of registration of work with GEMA

  • International Standard Recording Code (ISRC)

  • GEMA AVW number, if known (AVW = audio-visual work) (only in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)

  • Artist (not in the case of Video-on-Demand use, e.g. on Netflix)

Audio Media/Audio-Visual Media

  • Title of audio medium

  • Release date

  • Type of audio medium, e.g. CD, Vinyl, DVD

  • Name and address of manufacturer

  • Number of copies

  • Title of the work

  • Work number

  • Artist

Deadline for claiming missing royalties:
18 months after the distribution date

In a nutshell

We have produced a leaflet that provides all the essential information about claiming unpaid royalties for International use. You can download it as a PDF through the link given below:

Get help – quickly!

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