Music at a trade fair booth in Germany: GEMA, volume limits, stand parties.
Foreign exhibitors are often surprised by two German rules: music at your booth has to be licensed with GEMA, and the fairgrounds set strict volume limits. Here is what applies in 2026 and who has to do what.
Raphael Nuevo · updated · 6 min read
The short version
- Any music at your booth must be licensed with GEMA, the German music rights society. That includes a playlist.
- You, the exhibitor, register it. The fair does not do it for you.
- During fair hours, most fairgrounds allow a maximum of 70 dB(A) at the edge of your stand.
- A stand party is a separate item with GEMA and usually needs approval from the fair.
Who registers
GEMA is clear about it: whoever runs the stand registers the music, online in the GEMA customer portal or through the GEMA field service. The fair organizers have an agreement with GEMA, but it only obliges them to remind exhibitors, explicitly including stand parties. Streaming subscriptions for private use do not replace the license.
The three day tickets
| Ticket | Covers |
|---|---|
| Audio | music at the stand |
| Audio + Video | music and video, priced by area |
| All inclusive | music, video and a stand party, priced by area |
GEMA shows the ticket prices in its online tariff calculator. The relevant area is not only your stand but the whole area where your music can be heard. A live concert at the stand is registered separately.
What it costs in 2026
| Use | Price, net |
|---|---|
| Background music from recordings or MP3 | €26.76 per stand and day |
| Stand party up to 100 m², free entry | €30.40 per event |
| Stand party up to 500 m², free entry | €152.00 per event |
| Stand party up to 1,000 m², free entry | €304.00 per event |
For stand parties with music from recordings, which includes a DJ, 20 % is added for GVL. With invited guests and no entry fee, GEMA divides your music costs, explicitly including the DJ fee, by the number of guests and uses the result as a notional entry price to pick the tariff level.
Volume limits by fairground
| Fairground | Fair hours | Stand party |
|---|---|---|
| Messe Frankfurt | 70 dB(A) | 6 pm to 10 pm, extension to midnight |
| Koelnmesse (Cologne) | 70 dB | 80 dB(A), until midnight |
| Messe Düsseldorf | 70 dB(A) | until 10 pm, not on the last day |
| Messe München (Munich) | 70 dB(A) | 6 pm to 10 pm, up to 85 dB (2023 form) |
| Hanover | 70 dB(A) | from closing, end depends on the fair |
| NürnbergMesse | 70 dB(A) | 85 dB(A) at the loudest point guests can reach |
| Messe Stuttgart | no fixed value | only with special permission |
Fairs can shut down a stand or cut its power when it breaks the limit. Point the speakers into your stand, in Cologne and Hanover that is mandatory. Details with sources for each city are on my German city pages.
Before the fair
- Register the music with GEMA for each fair day, choose the right ticket for a stand party.
- Register live music separately.
- Register the stand party with the fair and mind the deadline. In Frankfurt, registering less than 22 days ahead costs 25 % extra.
- Get approval for performances or a stage where the fair requires it.
When I play at your booth, I go through this list with you in the briefing and keep the volume within the limits. More about booking a trade fair DJ.
- GEMA: music at trade fairs
- GEMA: trade fair tariff overview 2026 (PDF, German)
- Messe Frankfurt technical regulations 2026 (German)
- Koelnmesse terms for services, stand parties (German)
Rules change. The current document of the fair or GEMA always applies.