Christmas Markets in Rhineland-Palatinate May Have Less Music Due to Rising GEMA Fees

As of: October 22, 2023 6:26 p.m

This winter there could be less music than usual at the Christmas markets in Rhineland-Palatinate. Some organizers fear that they will not be able to cover the GEMA fees.

Lights, the smell of sausages, mulled wine and wooden toys – that’s part of the Christmas market. And of course the right music. But this could now become unaffordable for the organizers. This had recently caused long faces at folk festivals.

Die EGG YOLK manages the usage rights and copyrights of musicians’ works. The Society for Musical Performance and Mechanical Reproduction Rights, its full name, now charges fees not only for the areas directly in front of a stage where the music can be heard, but for the entire event area. That’s why it gets really expensive for the organizers. Every square meter counts.

How much music is still affordable at festivals?

Before the start of the Christmas markets, many city administrations in the country are feverishly calculating how much or little music they can afford.

The organizers of the Kaiserslautern Christmas market are already thinking about it: If it gets too expensive, they want to reduce the music program this year.

At the Wendelinus market on Sunday in Ramstein, the band “Oldies Live” entertained guests while celebrating, eating and shopping. Previously this cost the organizer around 200 euros a day. According to GEMA’s new calculation, it is 1,400 euros – seven times as much. Because the fees are not only due when the music comes from canned goods, but also especially during live performances.

When do the GEMA fees have to be paid?

GEMA is the company that manages the usage rights and copyrights of musicians’ works. A GEMA fee is due when music is used publicly, be it played live or reproduced electronically. If you listen to music privately, for example at a birthday party or a wedding, there is no charge. According to GEMA, company and club celebrations are considered public because the participants do not have to have a personal connection with each other. An important area are concerts, festivals, parades, discos and sporting events.

At large festivals, numbers quickly number in the tens of thousands: The city of Bad Dürkheim recently received a bill of 55,000 euros for its sausage market.

Especially modern Christmas classics like “Last Christmas” taste good; The free Christmas music, on the other hand, includes all traditional pieces from “Silent Night, Holy Night” to “Leise ripples der Schnee” to “O Tannenbaum”.

Municipalities shocked by GEMA’s demands

The shock came to many communities after the last Christmas market season. The higher fees were already due at the first regular markets again after the corona pandemic. In Bayreuth, Bavaria, the GEMA bill was 8,000 percent higher than in 2019, according to the city. It was almost 40,000 euros. For comparison: At the 2019 Christmas market it was 493 euros. According to the city of Bayreuth, GEMA had not announced its new tariff structure beforehand.

What is GEMA?

Die EGG YOLK was founded in 1947 and is the society for musical performance and mechanical reproduction rights. Composers, songwriters, arrangers and music publishers have come together. As a collecting society, GEMA represents its members’ claims to remuneration worldwide when their copyrighted musical works are used. In Germany, GEMA represents around 90,000 members, and there are almost two million rights holders worldwide. In 2022, GEMA achieved record sales of 1.178 billion euros. The distribution to its members will therefore exceed the one billion euro mark (1.039 billion euros) for the first time.

Cities Association is seeking talks with GEMA

GEMA points out that these are not new tariffs, but rather a consistent application of the tariffs last set in 2018. The company also emphasizes that complaints after Christmas markets are isolated cases.

In extreme cases, she has agreed to renegotiate. Discussions are also ongoing with the city council. The aim is to achieve appropriate tariffs that allow the Christmas markets to continue and offer planning and cost security for the cities.

2023-10-22 18:02:35
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