Overview

• The discounted rate applies starting with the 2025 Christmas market season.
• The agreement was reached by GEMA and the Bundesvereinigung der Musikveranstalter with representatives of Städtetag, Landkreistag, Städte- und Gemeindebund, the Bundesvereinigung City- und Stadtmarketing, and the Deutscher Schaustellerbund.
• GEMA says more than 7,000 registered markets nationwide would benefit from the new tariff.
• GEMA frames the tariff as recognizing shifts in duration, opening hours, and programming at today’s markets.
• The settlement follows disputes over stricter post-pandemic enforcement that brought sharp invoice increases—reported as tenfold in Dresden and far higher in Chemnitz—prompting a 'Day of Silence' protest and, in some cases, reduced live offerings or license-free music.