GEMA music license in germany
Hey guys! So a graduating class in Germany asked me to DJ their prom and as I am from the Netherlands I don’t really know how the GEMA stuff works there. From what I could gather online this is kind of a private party and since it’s not really a profitable event. Anyway I’m wondering if DJs in Germany could tell me what the common practice is there.
You should ask your question in a german Forum like Deejayforum.de there are tonns of very well iformed People on there.
Do you want to run the event in public or privately?
I think its public
here a german page How to keep charges as low as possible,
https://www.juraforum.de/forum/t/gema-gebuehren-sparen-abiball.479161/
here are the tariffs of gema
Hi, I´m a bar owner from Germany. I got to deal with the GEMA s*** every 3 months .
For the GEMA conditions it is important, which media you play, if you play it loudly to make people dance or if you play quiet background music (for example in restaurants) and if you play on a public event or a private party.
If you play original records on Vinyl or CD or from your computer there are one-time contracts. (Maybe you have to submit your playlist)
If you use an USB-Stick (for example w/ Rekordbox & Pioneer gear), the GEMA makes it more difficult. They argument that on the USB-Stick is a copy/backup of the song you own. So they have extra contracts for playing music from USB-sticks… (The contract allows you to “copy” 100 / 500/ 1000/ .. songs on the stick and to use it for a year.)
THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU:
I never experienced anybody from GEMA controlling the DJ´s gear at an event!!! 
AND the host of that party is responsible for the GEMA, not the DJ.
I don´t know if it is in your case the school (special conditions from GEMA), the graduating class or the party location (should have an existing GEMA contract).
The booker, the host of the event or the responsible person (of the graduating class) should talk to the event location and/or the hotline of GEMA.
Check the (my) comments in this thread from last year: