GEMA Fees for Restaurants in Germany: What You Need to Know

What determines GEMA fees for the catering industry?

The GEMA fees for your restaurant depend on several factors:

• Type of business (e.g., café, gym, shop, etc.)
• Size of the area where you play music
• Number of employees at this location
• Music source / music provider from which you obtain the background music

GEMA tariffs for the catering industry – with playback of radio/in-store radio (radio)

The following table shows the GEMA tariffs for restaurants when playing radio/in-store radio (radio, streaming background music, etc.):

Room size in m²	annually (€)	quarterly (€)	monthly (€)
up to 100 m²	237.20	65.23	23.72
up to 200 m²	474.30	130.43	47.43
up to 300 m²	711.40	195.64	71.14
each additional 200 m² up to 700 m²	118.40	32.56	11.84

Tip No. 1 – Don't mess with GEMA

If you play music in your restaurant without the appropriate GEMA license, you risk a warning and a fine. GEMA has inspectors who regularly visit restaurants, cafés, and other businesses to check if they have the required license.

Tip No. 2 – Need both licenses: GEMA and a licensed music provider

The GEMA license only covers the copyrights of composers and lyricists. You also need to ensure that the played tracks are explicitly licensed for commercial use. Only professional (B2B) music providers are legally allowed for commercial use in the catering industry.

Tip No. 3 – No "elevator music" (GEMA-free music)

GEMA-free music consists exclusively of tracks that are absolutely unknown to your customers and often tasteless. Don't expect to hear Souchon or Rihanna. 65% of customers are annoyed by GEMA-free music (SACEM 2016 study).

Tip No. 4 – Use music that delights your customers

The right music can increase sales by up to 9% (Stockholm School of Economics). Choose music that suits your target audience and brand image.

Tip No. 5 – Use a licensed music provider

Here is a list of providers available in Germany:

Providers of copyrighted background music (recommended)

• Soundsuit (Germany) — €29 / month per location (no special hardware needed)
• MyInstoreRadio (Denmark/USA) — €29 / month per location
• Ketchup Music (Germany) — prices only on request
• Soundtrackyourbrand (Sweden/USA) — €49.99 / month per location
• Moodmedia (Canada) — from €80 / month per location

Providers of royalty-free music (not recommended)

• Jamendo (Luxembourg) — €5 to €20 / month per location
• Epidemicsound (USA) — prices only on request