Interview: ‘The BV is co-determination in action’
June 2025 saw the holding of the Rights Holders' Assembly (BV2025) – a key milestone for GVL. The event provides the framework for delegate elections, brings together creatives and labels, and at the same time creates a platform for exchange among rights holders. In this interview, Juliane Fiedler, Head of Communications and jointly responsible for the implementation of BV2025, talks about the significance of the format.
(Photo © Stefan Wieland).
The Rights Holders' Assembly is one of the most important events in the GVL calendar. How important is it for democratic co-determination within GVL?
The Rights Holders' Assembly is co-determination in action: over 180,000 rights holders are invited to elect their delegates – 22 people who will represent them for four years. The diverse backgrounds of the rights holders – small and large labels as well as performing artists from over 60 genres – make GVL special. The BV ensures that this diversity is recognised and reflected in the GVL committees. Every vote shows: I am helping to shape the organisation. And that is anything but a matter of course.
Can you give us an insight into how the Rights Holders' Assembly is organised and which GVL teams work together to make it happen?
Organising the Rights Holders' Assembly is a complex task that begins almost two years before the event. Many areas of GVL work hand in hand here: colleagues from Legal Services provide the legal framework with regard to the articles of association and the election rules. Communications prepares all the necessary information for the various channels and implements the ‘GVL Live’ event. The Rights Holders Service accompanies the registration process from the invitation and necessary checks to support for the performers and labels. IT ensures that the technology runs smoothly. For the registration and election portal, we also rely on experienced service providers who actively support us with their expertise.
You have already attended several Rights Holders' assemblies. How has the event changed over the years?
Long-standing rights holders will still remember the Rights Holders' assembly at the Hotel Intercontinental, where the focus was on the election of the advisory boards: hundreds of slips of paper in every colour imaginable ended up in the analogue ballot box.
In 2017, digitalisation made its debut with the first computer-assisted election, which admittedly got off to a somewhat bumpy start. Today, digital elections are a matter of course for us, allowing our rights holders to vote from anywhere in the world – whether they are on tour, in the recording studio or on a film set.
The Rights Holders' Assembly is no longer focused solely on elections; exchanging ideas with our rights holders is just as important. Our report on the last four years was already a fixed and important part of the assembly, and now we are significantly expanding this dimension. In new formats such as the GVL Deep Dives, we provide our rights holders with in-depth insights and make it clear what ‘their GVL’ does for them. This is precisely what our communication as a whole is all about: presenting complex content in an understandable way, providing practical support and breaking down barriers. With the new ‘GVL Live’ format, we have created additional space for information, dialogue and questions in 2025, which is an important step towards further strengthening the exchange.
What does GVL take away from BV2025?
At every Rights Holders' Assembly, we strive to further simplify the procedures for our rights holders and to make the entire process as streamlined and user-friendly as possible. We are already working on making the registration process for the next elections even more intuitive – without compromising data protection, IT security, or the stability of our BV portals, of course.
A real highlight this year was our new format, GVL Live, which took place in the week after the elections. GVL Live not only inspired our guests, but also the speakers and colleagues who helped organise the event. The workshops and sessions provided valuable insights that enriched the discussions even beyond the official agenda. These ‘side’ encounters are particularly important because they show us where we are already well positioned and where we can improve further. Ultimately, this is exactly what defines the BV: encounters on equal terms.
Juliane Fiedler heads up communications at GVL and is responsible for press and public relations, marketing and internal communications. Together with her team, she works to explain GVL in a clear and understandable way to over 180,000 rights holders and many other stakeholders – across a variety of channels. She has been with GVL since 2012 and has accompanied its transformation into one of the world's largest digital service providers for neighbouring rights. Prior to that, she worked in strategic communications consulting.