After reading the title of this article you may find yourself asking: “Why was this decided by a court?” or “What does this decision mean?” Well, the fact of the matter is that this distinction represents a major victory for German club operators and their patrons.
Under the old classification, club nights were not considered concerts in Germany. This meant that operators would have to pay 19% in taxes on ticket sales. Now, after being classified as concerts, they will only pay a 7% tax. It goes without saying why this is beneficial to the German nightlife industry and many have already begun celebrating the ruling.
The decision was made on the basis of whether or not the “average” club attendee is actually there for the music. Unsurprisingly, they found that the music a primary piece of the gatherings and ruled accordingly.
Nighttime.org noted that ruling judges explained how DJs are real musicians due to their ability to create unique works with their equipment and song selections. “The DJs not only play sound carriers from other sources, but also perform their own new pieces of music by using instruments in the broader sense to create sequences of sounds with their own character,” the report reads.
Needless to say, the reclassification reinforces the validity of the German dance music scene and will greatly benefit its artists, promoters, and music industry professionals.
Source: Sueddeutsche Zeitung