World IP Day 2025

Pieces of music are protected by copyright - therefore, if you want to play (cover) someone else's piece of music in public, for example at a folk festival or concert, you will usually need the appropriate licenses. A license is the right to use a copyrighted work in a certain way, for example to play the piece of music in public. Collecting societies, such as GEMA in Germany, are often the right contact here. If the author is not represented by a collecting society, you should clarify the use with them (or the rights holders) directly. If the performance is not public, for example at a private party, no license is required.

By the way: Even if you are planning a public event with pieces of music that are either already old and therefore no longer protected by copyright (authors have been dead for more than 70 years) or whose authors are not represented by GEMA, it is advisable to register the event with GEMA. This is because, according to case law, it is generally assumed that GEMA may enforce certain rights of the author or rights holder, such as the performance rights to entertainment music. This presumption also extends to the fact that the works are protected by copyright. By registering, GEMA can check whether the pieces of music may be played without a license (and therefore free of charge).

If you want to rewrite a copyrighted song or change the melody, this is referred to as an “arrangement”. Publication or use is then generally only permitted if the author or rights holder has agreed to this. Furthermore, only then can you register the arrangement with GEMA.

It is always permitted to adapt pieces of music whose term of protection has expired. In Germany, this is the case if at least 70 years have passed since the year of the author's death.

For example, the composer Arnold Schönberg died on July 13, 1951, which means that his works have been in the public domain since January 1, 2022 and may be freely adapted in these (original) versions. However, arrangements by third parties may still be protected by copyright.

What happens if a piece has several authors? Not every piece comes from a singer-songwriter - it is therefore not uncommon for a piece of music to have several authors. For example, several authors of a song lyric or several composers of a melody. The work is then in the public domain if the longest living co-author has been deceased for 70 years. This also applies to so-called "musical compositions with lyrics", where both contributions were created specifically for the musical composition with lyrics in question.

Attention: The singer is not always the author! Therefore, you cannot simply change a song 70 years after the death of the performer. Instead, you must always check who the author or authors are and whether they have been dead for at least 70 years.

Music publishers or collecting societies can often help here. If authors are represented by a collecting society, a look at their databases can also help.