GVL closes financial year 2023 with significant revenue growth

Guido Evers and Dr. Tilo Gerlach, Managing Directors of GVL, look back on a successful year: “GVL achieved very good results in 2023 - not only in monetary terms, but also in terms of the continuous development of its services. We have launched a number of projects that serve the future viability of our IT system world and contribute to the strategic positioning of our organization."

Increasing revenue in the areas of international, broadcasting and public performance

Collections in 2023 amounted to EUR 249.2 million (previous year: EUR 235.4 million, +5.9%).

This development is based, among other things, on growing Collections from sister societies and increased broadcasting revenues.

Tilo Gerlach explains: “We have made great progress in the international area. Not only did international remuneration increase to a record EUR 14.4 million due to additional payments. We were also able to significantly expand our international rights portfolio and sign eight new representation agreements for performers and producers."

GVL also recorded a further increase in the area of public performance, finally leaving the decline in Collections from the years of the COVID pandemic behind.

Guido Evers adds: “We are pleased that Collections from public performance are at an all-time high. Nevertheless, this figure is at an unacceptably low level compared to the rest of Europe. We have therefore initiated tariff proceedings again in 2023 to remedy this situation for our rights holders".

GVL completed a total of 13 distributions and four international onward distribution rounds in 2023. In total, it paid out 222 million euros to creatives and their partners.

The most important figures at a glance

Remuneration for radio, TV and retransmission amounted to 99.9 million euros in 2023 and thus recorded growth compared to the previous year (+5.5%). Remuneration from radio broadcasting in particular increased by EUR 7.7 million (+15.4%).

Income from public performance, the so-called “pub right”, increased by EUR 6.4 million (+16.4%) to EUR 45.5 million following the abolition of all coronavirus restrictions. A positive development in income was achieved both in the event sector and in the area of permanent licenses. As a result, the pre-pandemic revenue level was reached and even exceeded for the first time in the 2023 financial year (2019: EUR 42.3 million).

Revenues from reproduction rights fell by 10.2% to EUR 77.3 million in 2023. One reason for this is an additional payment realized in the previous year, which had led to revenues significantly in excess of the recurring amount in 2022. On the other hand, the coronavirus-related restrictions with an increased demand for home office equipment had a positive effect on device sales, which was not observed again in 2023.

Collections from representation agreements with foreign collecting societies amounted to EUR 14.4 million in 2023, which represents a significant increase compared to the previous year (2022: EUR 8.4 million, +72.2%). This is mainly the result of a one-off additional payment from Spain.

GVL's own administrative expenses amounted to EUR 24.4 million in 2023. The cost ratio was thus 9.8% (previous year: EUR 25.3 million, cost ratio: 10.7%).

Grants increased by 0.3 million euros to 3.9 million euros, in particular due to higher cultural grants resulting from an increase in the number of applications and an increase in social grants.

GVL's year-end accounts and transparency report (in german) were accepted and adopted by the Associates' and Delegates' Assembly on June 10, 2024.

Image information:

• Guido Evers and Dr. Tilo Gerlach, Managing Directors of GVL (Photo: Stefan Wieland)
• Further images can be found here: https://gvl.de/en/gvl/press-publications/images

About GVL:

Anyone who creates something artistic or provides the economic basis for this must receive money for the use of their work. The Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten mbH (GVL) records this use. GVL forwards the money collected in trust from radio and television broadcasters and for public performance (e.g. in restaurants or cafés) to its rights holders as remuneration. Over 170,000 performing artists, producers of images and sound recordings, music and video clip producers and event organizers worldwide trust GVL - making it one of the largest collecting societies for neighbouring rights worldwide.

GVL's associates are the unisono Deutsche Musik- und Orchestervereinigung e.V., the Bundesverband Musikindustrie e.V. (BVMI), the Bundesverband Schauspiel e.V. (BFFS) and the Verband unabhängiger Musikunternehmer*innen e.V. (VUT).