Contract with the club: what to agree in writing before the show
The points that should be in writing before you say yes — fee, times, tech, cancellations — and why, under German law, an email is enough for it.
Most club shows by small bands happen without a contract document. That only becomes a problem when something goes wrong: the night is cancelled, the payout is less than agreed, the promised PA is not there. A contract does not have to be a paper with signatures for this. An email thread in which both sides confirm the key points records what was agreed — and that is exactly what it is for.
What has to be in writing
Times
Date, get-in (from when you can get in and set up), soundcheck, stage time, set length. With several bands: which slot in the evening. "You're playing on Saturday" is only the beginning — the complete line reads: "Saturday, 14 March, get-in 5 pm, soundcheck 6 pm, on stage 9 pm, 45 minutes."
Fee
The fee is the money for your show. It goes into the contract as an amount or as a model (the models follow right below), together with when and how it is paid: cash after the show or by invoice with a payment deadline. "We'll give you a good price" is a sentence for the phone call; the email needs the number.
Tech and backline
Backline means the big gear that is already in the house — PA, drum kit, amps. Who provides what, and who mixes the sound? If the club writes "backline available", ask for the list. Put concretely, it reads like this: "Drum kit and bass rig are in the house, you bring your guitar amps." A missing bass amp cannot be found on the night itself.
GEMA
GEMA, Germany's collecting society for music authors, collects money for the people who wrote the songs — and the concert is registered and paid for by the organiser, as the organiser's duty. If the contract says the GEMA fee comes out of your fee, negotiate that point. What else GEMA does for you is in GEMA for musicians.
Cancellations
Until when may which side cancel, and what is owed then? A common form, with invented numbers: "Free cancellation up to two weeks before, half the fee after that." Without such a clause, what is owed follows from the general rules of contract law, and how those apply depends on how the booking is classified — which is exactly the argument one sentence in the email spares you.
Merch and catering
Merch — your T-shirts, records, patches — needs three answers: may you sell, where does the table stand, and does the club keep a cut? Then the practical side: drinks, food and, after a long journey, a place to sleep — whatever the club provides goes into the contract too.
The three fee models
Fixed fee: one amount, regardless of turnout — say 250 euros, whether thirty people come or a hundred. The usual model once the club wants you; the evening's risk lies with the organiser.
Door deal (Türdeal in German emails): you get a share of the ticket money, often after costs are deducted. Ask beforehand which costs are deducted and how the settlement works — "after costs" without a list is the most common reason a payout comes in below what you expected. For an unknown band, a door deal is a fair offer if the club advertises the show.
Ticket quota (Kartenkontingent): you buy or guarantee tickets — which puts the evening's risk on you. That is pay-to-play. How to recognise it in the first email is in Pay-to-play; what an evening really costs, you work out with What a gig costs.
The confirmation email replaces the contract paper
A contract can also be made by email — German law requires no particular form for an agreement like this. In practice: after the phone call, write an email with the key points ("as discussed: 14 March, get-in 5 pm, 45 minutes, 250 euros fixed, you provide drums and PA") and have it confirmed. In a dispute, that one email is worth more than anyone's memory of a conversation.
That form rule is German law. If your band is based outside Germany, which country's law governs the booking is a question of its own — before a large fee depends on it, put that question to a lawyer.
FAQ: Who the organiser is, invoices and long contracts
Who counts as the organiser?
The organiser (Veranstalter) is whoever puts on the evening: provides the room, sells tickets, carries the financial risk — normally the club. If you rent a room yourselves and sell tickets, you are the organiser, with GEMA registration and settlement on your side. The difference decides who has which duties from this text.
Do we need an invoice?
Yes, you write an invoice for your fee: names and addresses, tax number (Steuernummer), date, service and amount, and as a Kleinunternehmer the note referring to § 19 UStG. How that works for you tax-wise (the small-business rule, trade or freelance), you settle once with a tax adviser; Taxes for bands in Germany explains the three terms. All of this assumes a band taxed in Germany; if yours is not, a fee from a German club raises its own VAT questions — take them to a tax adviser before the first invoice.
The club sends a multi-page contract — a warning sign?
Read it before you sign — especially the points on cancellation, liability and exclusivity (for example: no other show in the same city in the weeks before). A long contract is normal. Be suspicious if you only receive it on the evening of the show.
Venues in Germany
97 in the catalog right now · as of 2026-10-28
- Batschkapp — Frankfurt am Main
- Blue Shell — Köln
- Lido — Berlin (Kreuzberg)
- Lila Eule — Bremen
- SO36 — Berlin (Kreuzberg)
- Sputnikhalle — Münster
- UT Connewitz — Leipzig, Saxony
- Volksbad — Flensburg
Where the next contract starts
A contract is only as good as the venue behind it. Every card in the directory shows when we last checked the venue, and almost every one links its own website: look there to see whether the venue is still putting on shows before you confirm a booking.
The short version
Before every yes, six points belong in writing: times, the fee and how it is paid, tech, GEMA with the organiser, cancellation terms, merch. Under German law a confirmation email is enough as the form. On the fee, the model matters more than the amount: fixed fee and door deal are up for negotiation, a ticket quota shifts the risk onto you.
For large sums or unusual clauses, read the contract with a lawyer. All amounts and dates in the examples are invented.
Sources
- Formation and form of contracts: §§ 145 ff. BGB, the German Civil Code (a contract is formed by offer and acceptance) and § 125 BGB (a contract needs a particular form only where the law prescribes one); gesetze-im-internet.de, read 2026-09-13
- The organiser's GEMA duties: § 42(1) VGG (the organiser obtains the collecting society's consent before the event; gesetze-im-internet.de, read 2026-09-13) and GEMA tariff U-K, edition 21, valid from 2026-05-01 (edition checked 2026-09-07)
- § 14(4) UStG and § 34a UStDV — mandatory invoice details, tax number, the note for Kleinunternehmer (gesetze-im-internet.de, read 2026-09-13)
Updated: 2026-09-13
Note
This article provides general information on German law. It is not legal advice and does not replace it. No assessment of an individual case within the meaning of § 2 (1) RDG takes place. For your own situation, please consult a qualified lawyer.
Legal rules, deadlines and fees can change. We prepare our content carefully but give no warranty as to accuracy, completeness or currency. Liability for intent and gross negligence, and for injury to life, body or health, remains unaffected.
Last reviewed: 13.09.2026
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