Fees too high? Debate about music at Christmas markets
Silent night instead of songs like "Last Christmas"? This could possibly become a reality at some Christmas markets in Rhineland-Palatinate. This is because cities and local authorities are currently in discussions with the music collecting society Gema about money and the amount of fees that have to be paid for playing music.
According to Ralf Peterhanwahr, spokesman for the city of Mainz, if the current rate is applied, the city would have to pay a Gema fee of around 60,000 euros to be allowed to play music at the Christmas market in the future. This is despite the fact that the dimensions, range and area are identical to 2022, meaning that music will not be played across the entire site, but only on the stage at Liebfrauenplatz and once at the opening ceremony. In previous years, the invoices amounted to around 2000 euros, for 2022 4670 euros were calculated.
Subsequent measurements show significantly larger areas
The background: the tariffs and fees charged by the music collecting society Gema have not changed in recent years. The collecting society takes the entire event area into account in its calculations. In the past, music was licensed on the basis of the usage areas reported by customers, according to Gema. However, after the coronavirus pandemic, some significant discrepancies were found when the area was re-measured. These are therefore not new tariffs, but a consistent application of the existing tariffs.
The city of Landau has already found another way. It has only been playing Gema-free music at the Thomas Nast St. Nicholas Market since 2021. The high and ever-increasing costs were the reason for this step, explains a spokesperson.
Irrespective of this, the prices are also a problem for other festivals in the city. According to internal calculations, the Landau Summer, for example, could incur a Gema fee of around 72,000 euros in future, instead of the 4762 euros most recently charged for 2019. Mayor Dominik Geißler (CDU) has therefore called in the Rhineland-Palatinate Association of Towns and Districts, which in turn have called in their national counterparts.
Gema with cities and municipalities
When it comes to Christmas markets, the Association of Cities and Towns has already reacted and sought talks with Gema. "We have been promised that Gema will approach the cities with significantly higher bills in order to find solutions," says the German Association of Cities. Gema spokesperson Ursula Goebel confirms: "We are still in discussions with a few customers to find a solution that is appropriate for both sides."
For the upcoming 2023 season, Gema will set the license level for the 2022 season. "This means that the license amounts negotiated retroactively for 2022 in individual cases will also be applied again - and not the license amount that would be due according to the tariff and the calculation of the total event area," says Goebel.
According to Gema information, a total of 62 Christmas markets that took place in 2022 were billed in Rhineland-Palatinate. The prices for eleven markets were subsequently adjusted due to complaints or appropriateness checks. There were particular increases for the markets in Koblenz, Mainz and Trier.
Five-figure increases in 35 cases
The private organizer of the Christmas market in Trier reports that they have compensated for price increases in recent years by adjusting the program, such as the number of pieces performed. They therefore pay a constant mid-four-figure amount to Gema.
According to Gema, it has sent out around 3350 invoices for Christmas markets across Germany. Around 135 customers have complained due to significant price increases. In 35 cases, there were increases in the five-figure range, according to Gema.
The contracts for the music program at this year's Mainz Christmas market have already been concluded, explains spokesman Peterhanwahr. The concept remains unchanged, but if Gema sticks to its calculations, there could possibly be a completely silent market in the future, similar to Bad Dürkheim. There, the town avoids discussions about music by not playing any.
After reviewing the current discussions, the city might consider playing Gema-free music at future Christmas markets due to the high fees. This strategy could help reduce costs, as seen in Landau, where they started playing Gema-free music in 2021.
Despite the discussions, Gema has stated that they will apply existing tariffs consistently, considering the entire event area in their calculations. This approach has led to significant increases in the fee amounts for several cities, including Mainz and Trier.
Source: www.dpa.com
