At the end of the 2025 Rights Holders' Assembly, ‘GVL Live’ provided a platform for insights, presentations and discussions on GVL's work and industry topics.
On 11 June 2025, GVL invited rights holders, newly elected delegates and industry representatives to Berlin. More than 200 performers and label representatives gathered in the Festsaal Kreuzberg for a diverse programme focusing on GVL and topics of interest to the creative scene.
The week before, GVL rights holders had already elected the delegates for the Associates’ and Delegates’ Assembly (Associates’ and Delegates’ Assembly). This marked the conclusion and highlight of the Rights Holders’ Assembly, which takes place every four years.
At this year's Rights Holders' Assembly, we looked back on the past four years together with performers and labels with an open mind and combined this with a well-founded outlook on future developments. Our focus was on what drives us: fair remuneration, strong international cooperation and the courage to use the digital transformation to the benefit of our rights holders.
GVL Managing Director Guido Evers and Dr Tilo Gerlach on the Rights Holders' Assembly and ‘GVL Live’
Culture politician Dr Carsten Brosda opens ‘GVL Live’
Dr. Carsten Brosda (Fotos: Stefan Wieland)
Dr Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture in Hamburg and President of the German Stage Association, opened the event with a keynote speech. In it, he emphasised the importance of culture for social cohesion.
‘It was a great pleasure to welcome Dr Carsten Brosda, a high-profile and extremely committed cultural politician, as our opening speaker – a voice of authority and a strong signal for the cultural and social relevance of our work,’ said Guido Evers about the guest of honour.
Afterwards, GVL Managing Director Guido Evers and Dr. Tilo Gerlach looked back on the past four years and gave an outlook on the future developments of the collecting society.
Musicologist and entertainer Dr Pop spoke about the increasing use of artificial intelligence in pop music and gave a tongue-in-cheek explanation of the associated phenomenon of interpolation with beats, numerous entertaining anecdotes and audible examples.
A look behind the scenes: the afternoon workshops
During the AI sessions, GVL rights holders were able to learn more about the possibilities of artificial intelligence: Oliver Welling gave a practical demonstration of how labels can use AI strategically, while Jovanka von Wilsdorf sent participants on an interactive workshop to search for traces of AI in music productions. Heinrich Schafmeister and Dr Till Völger from the BFFS explained how the acting industry can constructively deal with the challenges of AI in film and language, for example through collective agreements.
The subsequent deep dives then took a more technical turn: whether looking back and ahead at the work of the GVL for performers and labels or the path of a broadcast use through the GVL systems – there were well-founded insights behind the scenes of the GVL.
The day came to a close in the Festsaal's beer garden with musical accompaniment by Nina ‘Miu’ Graf and DJ ‘DaybeeDee’. The event was moderated by Mia Heresch.
Direct exchange with our rights holders has once again demonstrated how important honest dialogue and joint decision-making are. GVL Live has created space for encounters and new ideas – lively and accessible.
