Statement of the General Management on 2021
The Managing Directors of GVL, Dr. Tilo Gerlach and Guido Evers, take a look back on 2021. A year that may have been largely impacted by the pandemic again yet resulted in annual accounts above average for GVL. With a distributable amount of €337m in 2021, GVL exceeded the peak value of 2020 once more and paid out remuneration to more than 140,000 rights holders. Remuneration collected also increased significantly in the past year. “At €248m, our income is well over €30m higher than in the previous year”, state the two Managing Directors.
2021 key operating figures
Annual comparison of total revenues
Despite a second COVID-19 year running, GVL managed to grow its total revenues to €248.6m and can therefore report a 15% increase, even under the continued influence of the pandemic. As a consequence, the annual result even lies above the general industry sector growth.
2021 revenue structure
Overall, GVL managed to achieve a €32.5m increase of its revenues in 2021. The decrease of broadcast remuneration by the public service broadcasters amounting to €2.8m compared to the previous year was more than sufficiently offset by an increase of broadcast remuneration of private radio and television channels of €8.6m, an increase of the income from private copying remuneration collected by the ZPÜ (the joint collection centre for private copying levies) of €19.2m and an increase of revenue in the public performance sector of €4.1m. In all other sectors, GVL’s income situation is stable overall and mostly positive and therefore lies within expectations.
Annual comparison of the number of GVL right holders
We were also able to grow the number of our direct rights holders. At the end of 2021, 168,560 rights holders entrusted GVL with the management of their neighbouring rights. This represents an increase of 28,000 rights holders if you look at the figures from 10 years ago.
Distributions and distributable sums
Annual comparison of distributable sums
In total, GVL distributed €337m to its rights holders spread across 15 distribution runs in the past year. Just to compare: In 2020, about €292m were paid to producers whereas the remuneration was at €219m in 2019.
Against the background of record payouts, GVL managed to reduce its reserves and liabilities 2021 by more than €100m, for a second year in a row. Main driver for the significant reduction in reserves for performers were the final distributions for 2015 and 2016.
Distributions 2021
In 2021, GVL carried out 15 distributions to its rights holders; add to that the quarterly payouts of revenues received from abroad. As a result, all scheduled distribution runs were implemented as planned.
The number of the rights holders participating in the distributions also continued to rise. As such, more than 142,000 performers received payments in the final distribution 2016 from GVL in 2021. This is not least due to the fact that the creatives are more active when it comes to registering their contributions to productions.
Rights holders' assembly 2021
Rights holders of GVL elected their delegates in a virtual procedure for the first time
In the past year, GVL held its Assembly of Rights Holders in a pure virtual format for the first time. Rights holders elected their 22 delegates via a specially set-up online portal for the next four years. Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen opened the event, Dr. Christian Höppner took on the role of the election official and the GVL general management provided comprehensive insights into the work of GVL.
GVL gets involved in the “scholarship programme of the collective management organisations as part of NEUSTART KULTUR”
5,500 performers receive grants
Due to the pandemic, earning money in their field of work continued to prove difficult for many creatives in 2021. The GVL scholarship in the framework of NEUSTART KULTUR amounting to EUR 5,000 each served to support performers to weather this period of hardship. In total, about 5,500 performers benefited from the grant scheme.
5,000 Euros for artistic projects
GVL received a total of €30m via the Commissioner of Culture and Media (BKM) in order to allocate scholarships to freelance performers. Applicants hailed from a range of creative and artistic sectors. Grants were allocated to various projects such as artistic performances, research projects or further education.
Scholarship recipients and their projects
5,500 freelance performers had received a scholarships from GVL in the course of Neustart Kultur in order to implement an artistic project in 2021. In order to make their success more tangible, we decided to ask a small group of scholarship recipients to provide us with a statement in the form of a short progress report.
Dr Till Völger is the new representative of the Shareholders of the BFFS
Change was afoot at the beginning of June 2021 with respect to the group of representatives of the Shareholders at GVL: Dr Till Völger superseded Bernhard F. Störkmann in his role as the BFFS (Federal Acting Association) representative. The handover took place in the course of the 2021 Assembly of Rights Holders 2021.
Reeperbahn Festival 2021: “Finally, we can take part on site again!”
The relief among the music business representatives was palpable when we finally met with one another again at the Reeperbahn Festival last year in person. It was a moment providing some respite between the lockdowns of the pandemic and an important networking event for GVL where one could meet friends again.
GVL in the international arena: Between competition and partnership
Interview with Burkhard Sehm, Director Legal & Business Affairs at GVL
Art does not end at country borders. As a consequence, GVL represents the interests of its rights holders worldwide. Apart from the remuneration exchange as such, strategic cooperation with international partners and collective management organisations/music licensing companies (CMOs/MLCs) has significantly gained in importance over the last few years. We spoke with Burkhard Sehm, Director Legal & Business Affairs, who is responsible for the international activities of GVL, about these developments.
GVL finances Themis centre for the music business
The Themis centre against sexual harassment and assault has been advising affected members of the music business since the end of 2021. Together with the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) and the Verband unabhängiger Musikunternehmer*innen e.V (VUT), GVL is financing another part-time position which will be filled to specifically provide advice for music business employees.
GVL has a new look
We used the last year to apply a fresh new look: In the course of a comprehensive optimisation of our communication measures, we gave GVL a fresh lick of paint for its appearance. Apart from a complete relaunch of our website, we also introduced a digital annual report and some new publication formats.
GVL grants and culture support schemes
Above and beyond our distributions, we have taken on responsibility for the creative sector; this includes our grants. We make up to five percent of our annual distribution volume available for supporting measures. On the basis of grants for cultural and social purposes, GVL rights holders benefit directly, but also indirectly when money reaches them via the promotion of cultural-political projects. Apart from other projects, we supported the following organisations, among others, in 2021:
We say thank you for a successful 2021
The management of GVL would like to thank its friends and partners of GVL for a collaborative 2021 and its staff for their commitment and effort.