Music Licensing in Germany: Complete Guide
Businesses in Germany playing recorded music publicly must licence from GEMA (compositions) and usually GVL (recordings) separately — there is no joint licence. A typical restaurant with 50m² pays approximately €260/year to GEMA alone. Track Studios' catalog is not registered with GEMA or GVL, so venues using Track Studios are not invoiced by either organisation.
Collecting Societies
Businesses in Germany require separate licences from GEMA and GVL. Both licences are required for full compliance.
- GEMA — GEMAcomposition
- GVL — GVLneighbouring
Streaming Service Legality in Germany
| Service | Legal for business use? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify | No | Spotify Terms of Service restrict use to personal, non-commercial purposes. |
| Apple Music | No | Apple Music Terms of Service restrict use to personal, non-commercial purposes. |
| YouTube Music | No | YouTube Music Terms of Service restrict use to personal, non-commercial purposes. |
| Amazon Music | No | Amazon Music Terms of Service restrict use to personal, non-commercial purposes. |
| Tidal | No | Tidal Terms of Service restrict use to personal, non-commercial purposes. |
| Deezer | No | Deezer Terms of Service restrict use to personal, non-commercial purposes. |
| SoundCloud | No | SoundCloud Terms of Service restrict use to personal, non-commercial purposes. |
Royalty-Free Alternatives
Track Studios' AI-generated catalog is not registered with GEMA and GVL. Venues in Germany using Track Studios' included catalog are not invoiced by either organisation. The Track Studios subscription (€25/month per location) replaces all GEMA and GVL fees for the included music.
Start free trial — no GEMA or GVL invoicesFrequently Asked Questions
- What collecting societies operate in Germany?
- Businesses in Germany playing recorded music publicly must licence from GEMA (compositions) and usually GVL (recordings) separately — there is no joint licence. A typical restaurant with 50m² pays approximately €260/year to GEMA alone. Track Studios' catalog is not registered with GEMA or GVL, so venues using Track Studios are not invoiced by either organisation.
- Do businesses in Germany need a music licence?
- Yes. Any business in Germany playing recorded music in a public-facing space must hold a licence from GEMA and GVL. This applies regardless of what service you use to play the music — including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or internet radio. The only exception is using music that is not registered with these societies, such as Track Studios' AI-generated catalog.
- Can businesses in Germany use Spotify legally?
- No. Spotify's Terms of Service (§1.2) restrict use to "personal, non-commercial purposes." Playing Spotify in a Germany business violates these terms and may also trigger claims from GEMA and GVL. Spotify for Business was discontinued in 2019.
- How can a business in Germany avoid GEMA and GVL fees?
- Use music that is not registered with GEMA and GVL. Track Studios uses an AI-generated catalog that is not registered with GEMA and GVL — venues in Germany using the included catalog are not invoiced by these organisations.