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The GEMA setlist (Setliste): no later than 6 weeks after the performance

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When GEMA needs a concert's setlist, who submits it and where — as GEMA describes it in the help pages of its online portal. This date has nothing to do with the report to the Künstlersozialkasse.

What GEMA asks for

In the English help pages of its online portal GEMA writes: “We require a setlist no later than 6 weeks after the performance for:”

According to GEMA the 6 weeks run from the performance. GEMA names no fixed calendar date in the year for this — every performance has its own. The other collecting societies' reporting dates are listed under VG Wort, VG Bild-Kunst, GEMA: reporting deadlines.

Who submits the setlist

“The responsibility for submitting the setlist usually lies with the event organiser. They can also delegate that task to the musicians.” Elsewhere GEMA gives the reason: “At the end of the day, it is them that know best what songs they performed.”

Whether the organiser has already submitted the setlist can be checked, according to GEMA, with the setlist search in the “My setlists” service — for example by the event name, the event location or the names of the performers.

How the setlist is submitted

GEMA describes three steps in its online portal:

  1. go to “My setlists”,
  2. select the event,
  3. enter the titles performed — according to GEMA “thanks to our works database in just a few minutes”.

What GEMA needs the setlist for

“Whenever we receive a setlist we find out which musical pieces were played at a live event. That way, we can determine which composers, lyricists and music publishers receive royalties for the live performance.” How GEMA distributes is set by GEMA itself; this page says nothing about it.

And the Künstlersozialkasse?

The setlist goes to GEMA, not to the Künstlersozialkasse. The KSK's date is a different one: the income estimate (Einkommensschätzung) for the following year is reported by 1 December (§12 Abs. 1 Satz 1 KSVG), see The deadline is 1 December. All dates of the year are listed side by side under Deadlines.

On its annual-report page the Künstlersozialkasse explicitly lists among business income (Betriebseinnahmen) „Urheberrechtliche Vergütungen, zum Beispiel über Verwertungsgesellschaften wie die GEMA oder VG-Wort“ — copyright remuneration, for example via collecting societies such as GEMA or VG Wort. What is reported is profit, not turnover — more under Profit is reported, not turnover.

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Frequently asked questions

How long after the gig does GEMA need the setlist?
According to GEMA, no later than 6 weeks after the performance. GEMA says this applies to concerts, festivals and events with live music.
Who submits the GEMA setlist – the organiser or the band?
In principle, the event organiser must submit it, GEMA writes; they can delegate the task to the musicians.
How can I see whether the organiser has already submitted the setlist?
With the setlist search in GEMA's “My setlists” service, for example by the event name, the event location or the names of the performers.
Where is the GEMA setlist submitted?
In GEMA's online portal under “My setlists”: select the event and enter the titles performed using GEMA's works database.
Does the GEMA setlist have anything to do with the KSK report?
No. The 6 weeks are GEMA's own figure, and the setlist goes to GEMA. The annual report to the Künstlersozialkasse is due by 1 December (§12 Abs. 1 Satz 1 KSVG).

Sources

By the Künstlerfinanzen editorial team. Page last checked: 2026-09-28. The information comes from the following pages; the English quotations are taken from GEMA's English help pages:

This text reproduces the information published by GEMA and the Künstlersozialkasse. It is not legal advice and not tax advice. What applies in your case is answered by GEMA, the Künstlersozialkasse or an adviser of your choice.