2021 GVL Assembly of Rights Holders: 22 Delegates elected

All details on the event and the candidates who were standing for election in the group assemblies were available beforehand via an info portal and social media. Virtual “meet the candidates” and explainer videos completed the information provided to the rights holders in the run up to the event. 

Eckart von Hirschhausen opened the 2021 Assembly (BV2021)

Dr Eckart von Hirschhausen, a GVL rights holder himself, held the keynote speech of the BV2021 on 3 June. With humour and positive spirit, he tuned the guests into the two-day event. “The passion for culture and music is something I share with all the GVL rights holders”, stressed the physician, cabaret artists and founder of the “Gesunde Erde-Gesunde Menschen” foundation (healthy earth, healthy people). “During the pandemic, many artists have had a very tough time, with existential hardships, a lack of perspective and job changes. At the same time, the creative sector was able to demonstrate in many places how important cultural contributions are for social cohesion, positive community experiences and health of the soul.  As a consequence, I am totally convinced that we are facing a revival of the sector with new approaches, game concepts and a view to sustainability.”

Review of the past financial years

Apart from a general business review, the two Managing Directors, Guido Evers and Tilo Gerlach focussed particularly on GVL’s digital transformation in their report. Said digital transformation left a significant cultural, technical and procedural mark on GVL throughout the last few years. Gerlach and Evers also provided deeper insights into the “engine room” of GVL in this context and answered questions of the rights holders live.

A focus of the presentation was also on the international collaboration of GVL, a subject which is of increasing importance to GVL and its rights holders. This does not just include the international data and remuneration exchange but also the cooperation in international committees and working groups for performers and producers.

Furthermore, the Managing Directors portrayed the entire spectrum of past and future distributions to rights holders. During the 2020 corona year in particular, the remuneration of GVL had remained an important financial constant for many performers and labels: EUR 280m were paid out by GVL to its rights holders during the 2020 pandemic year. In addition to the nine regular distribution runs, GVL also launched advance payments and corona aid payments amounting to tens of millions of Euros.

Results of the Delegates’ elections

The elections on 4 June were conducted by Prof Christian Höppner, General Secretary of the German Music Council and, as a cello player and conductor, also a GVL member entitled to vote. In total, more than 1,000 ballot papers were submitted.

The following Delegates were elected as representatives of the rights holders for the next four years into the Assembly of Shareholders and Delegates (GuDV):

Assembly of Rights Holders and Assembly of Shareholders and Delegates as core governing committees of GVL (in german)

Every four years, at the Assembly of Rights Holders, GVL rights holders elect 22 representatives for the Assembly of Shareholders and Delegates which is one of the most important governing committees of GVL. The 15 group assemblies where the elections are taking place, are made up of the various interest groups among GVL rights holders and can be roughly split into two categories, that of performers and that of producers. All rights holders can participate in the Assembly of Rights Holders and the election of representatives.

The Assembly of Shareholders and Delegates (GuDV) provides a democratic equilibrium of interests within GVL. Directly elected by the rights holders in the course of the Assembly of Rights Holders, 22 Delegates and four Shareholders ensure that all groups of rights holders are treated fairly and their interests are safeguarded.

About GVL:

Those who render artistic performances or create the respective financial basis for the latter must receive money for the exploitation of their performances. The Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten mbH (GVL) manages this exploitation. The fees GVL has collected, on a fiduciary basis, from radio and TV stations for public performance (e.g. in restaurants or cafés), among others, are paid out to GVL’s rights holders in the form of a remuneration.  More than 160,000 performers, producers of sound recordings and audiovisual recordings, music and music video clip producers as well as event organisers have placed their trust in GVL on a global level - and thus make GVL one of the biggest collective management organisations for neighbouring rights in the world. At the same time, GVL represents the largest classical repertoire worldwide. Shareholders of GVL are the German Orchestra Association (DOV), the Federal Association of the Music Industry (BVMI), the Federal Acting Association (BFFS) and the Association of Independent Musicians and Music Companies e.V.(VUT).

On this page  you can access and download image material for the 2021 Assembly of Rights Holders (Photos: Reinhardt and Sommer for GVL).