The entire creative sector was, once more, subject to highs and lows in 2021 - what felt like a nearly normal summer was followed by a second winter in COVID-19 lockdown. We are grateful that we were able to be at the side of our rights holders as a strong partner in these challenging times. Despite a continued impact by the pandemic, GVL managed to achieve a 15 percent increase of its overall income in 2021, thus reaching EUR 248.6m. At the same time, we paid out EUR 337m to our rights holders.

A total of approximately 3 million euros will be paid out in this distribution round. This time, remuneration was collected from Sweden, Italy, Great Britain, Poland, Belgium and Switzerland, among others.

Prerequisites for receiving foreign remuneration are the reportings of participations and the registrations of repertoire in our online portals as well as the transfer of international rights management.

You can find out exactly how we collect funds from abroad in the infographic:

This distribution relates to sound recording productions in the years 1963/64 whose term of protection was extended from 50 to 70 years. As provided by law, GVL passes on 20% of the sales income from 2014 and 2015 to the contributing musicians who do not receive any licence payments.

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Overall income of GVL for 2021 stands at EUR 248.6m and GVL thus managed to raise it by 15.5 percent compared to the previous year (2020: EUR 216.1m). GVL recorded growth in all three core sectors of GVL, i.e. broadcast, reproduction and public performance. Remuneration paid to GVL by collective management organisations or music licensing companies abroad also rose noticeably.  

These revenues relate to supplementary payments from the private copying section (ZPÜ monies) which GVL only received during the current financial year. The payouts will be made to rights holders who already received remuneration from the private copying section for 2008 and 2009.

The revenues from the distribution system which was income-based back then will be accumulated in proportion to the income received in arrears. In this supplementary distribution, about EUR 10m can be paid out to approx. 30,000 directly entitled rights holders.

Overall, GVL distributes 35.8m euros to performers and their legal successors in the course of a subsequent distribution

The distribution will be concluded with the final distribution where additional monies will be paid out which had not been claimed by the performers within the given deadlines. Since we now have a better understanding regarding the scope of the claims for which we must put money into reserves, we were able to increase the payout amounts significantly. 

A total of approximately 4 million euros will be paid out in this distribution round. Royalties will be forwarded from Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, the USA, Great Britain and Finnland, among others.

Prerequisites for receiving foreign remuneration are the reportings of participations and the registrations of repertoire in our online portals as well as the transfer of international rights management.