Music Licensing in Healthcare: What GEMA Tariff Applies in Your Practice?

Music can have a powerful therapeutic impact — especially in healthcare environments like clinics, therapy centers, and rehabilitation facilities. But if your organization is playing music in any form, it’s essential to understand which GEMA tariff applies to avoid legal and financial risks.

Let’s break it down:

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1. Background Music in Reception, Waiting Rooms or Examination Rooms

If you’re playing background music — via radio, CD, streaming, or TV — in non-therapeutic spaces such as:

• • Waiting rooms
  • Reception areas
  • Doctor’s offices (not during active therapy)
  • Examination rooms
  • etc

then the GEMA’s Tarif WR‑S KKH applies.

Fees (as of 2025):

• • €4.05 per room/year (net + 7% VAT)
    Or:
  • €1.11 per quarter
  • €0.41 per month

This flat-rate tariff does not depend on room size or number of patients — only on how many rooms are playing music.

Example of Fees:

Rooms with background music	Annual Fee (net)
Waiting room + doctor’s office	€8.10
Just waiting room	€4.05
3 rooms total	€12.15

⚠️ Important: This only applies to passive background music, not active music therapy.

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2. Therapeutic Use of Music – No Patient Fees

In many clinics (e.g. psychosomatic, chronic care, or public rehab centers), music is used actively in therapy sessions — to aid memory recall, support emotional processing, or improve communication.

If:

• • Music is used actively during treatment
  • Patients do not pay directly (e.g. care is covered by public health or insurance)

then the GEMA Tarif WR‑KS‑F II 1 applies:

“Musikeinsatz bei entgeltfreien Kursangeboten”

This applies to:

• • Music therapy
  • Occupational or speech therapy using music
  • Psychotherapy with curated music
  • Neurologic rehabilitation with music

How are fees calculated?

The tariff is based on:

• • Number of weekly sessions
  • Group size
  • Room usage
  • Use of live or recorded music

GEMA does not publish per-session pricing, but most institutions pay €40–100/month, depending on the size and frequency of the program.

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3. Therapeutic Use with Paid Sessions

If patients pay per session or via a membership/subscription model, the applicable GEMA tariff is:

• • WR-KS-F II 2
    (Used when music is part of paid wellness, fitness, or therapeutic sessions)

View official tariff PDF

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Can I Use Spotify in Therapy?

No — not legally.

• • Spotify, Apple Music, etc. are licensed for private use only.
  • Even with a GEMA license, you cannot stream music from personal accounts in a business or therapy context.

✅ Alternatives:

• • Use GEMA-compliant commercial streaming solutions
  • Or play music from licensed CD/download libraries with public-use rights

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Summary Table

Use Case	GEMA Tariff	Notes
Waiting room background music	WR‑S KKH	€4.05/room/year (flat)
Therapeutic use (no patient fee)	WR‑KS‑F II 1	Calculated by sessions/group size
Therapeutic use (paid sessions)	WR‑KS‑F II 2	Based on frequency, fees, and space used

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Need Help? Get a Free Consultation.

If you run a health-focused business and are unsure which GEMA license applies to your use of music, our team is here to help. At Soundsuit, we offer expert guidance on music rights in public and commercial settings — and provide a fully licensed streaming platform designed specifically for business use, combining legal compliance with effortless simplicity.

Not sure which license applies to your practice? Or want to try Soundsuit for free?

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