GVL (Germany)

GVL (Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten) is Germany's collective management organization for neighboring rights, representing over 185,000 performers and producers of sound recordings. Founded in 1959, it collects and distributes remuneration when recorded music is broadcast on radio or television, played in public venues, or subject to private copying levies. GVL is one of the largest neighboring rights collecting societies worldwide.

How GVL Works

GVL manages so-called secondary exploitation rights on behalf of its rights holders. These include statutory remuneration for radio and television broadcasts, public performance of recordings in venues like bars and cafes, and private copying levies collected from the sale of smartphones, storage media, and other devices. The online streaming sector is not covered by GVL's collective management, as streaming rights are governed by individual contractual arrangements between rights holders and platforms.

In 2025, GVL collected EUR 257.9 million in total revenue, slightly exceeding the previous year. Collections from foreign sister societies amounted to EUR 9.8 million, a 6.3% increase from 2024. GVL represents over 185,021 direct rights holders, including 169,597 performers, 15,351 producers, and 73 event organizers. Through more than 80 representation agreements with international sister societies, GVL represents over one million performers and over 100,000 producers worldwide.

GVL distributes remuneration based on broadcast minutes reported for each individual recording. The organization analyzes over 34 million broadcast minutes annually to calculate payments. Distribution plans are determined by delegates elected by rights holders at the Assembly of Rights Holders, not by GVL management.

In 2025, GVL launched lizenz.gvl, a new digital licensing portal for license holders. The platform was initially opened to private radio stations and expanded to web radio operators in 2026. This complements the existing rights holder portals my.gvl and label.gvl.

Membership is free. Performers sign a rights administration agreement online and register their productions through GVL's portals. Producers register tracks via the label.gvl portal with metadata including ISRC codes, playing time, genre, and recording details.

Real-World Example

A violinist performs on a recording that receives regular airplay on a German public radio station. The recording is broadcast for a total of 500 minutes in a given year. GVL logs those 500 broadcast minutes through its monitoring system and calculates the violinist's share based on their role in the production and the applicable distribution plan.

If the same recording is also played in a Berlin restaurant, the restaurant's GVL license fee contributes to the public performance remuneration pool. The violinist receives a proportional payment from both the broadcast and public performance distributions.

GVL also administers the German implementation of EU Directive 2011/77/EU, which extended sound recording protection from 50 to 70 years. Under Section 79a of the German Copyright Act, producers must pay 20% of income from exploitation to contributing artists. GVL administers this remuneration right on behalf of performers.

In 2026, GVL began distributing remuneration from the protection term extension (Section 79a UrhG) for usage years 2014 to 2024, providing additional payments to performers who contributed to recordings during that period.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are a performer or producer based in Germany, GVL membership is the only way to collect neighboring rights remuneration for the broadcast and public performance of your recordings. Unlike PROs such as GEMA that collect performance royalties for songwriters, GVL collects for the people who perform on and produce sound recordings.

Sign the rights administration agreement with GVL and register your productions through their online portals. For producers, use label.gvl to register tracks with complete metadata including ISRC codes. For performers, use my.gvl to declare which productions you contributed to. Incomplete registrations mean missed payments, as GVL can only distribute based on registered repertoire.

GVL can also manage your neighboring rights internationally. When signing the rights administration agreement, you can grant GVL a mandate for territories beyond Germany. Over 80 bilateral representation agreements allow GVL to collect your royalties in countries worldwide. Check your mandate settings in label.gvl or my.gvl to confirm you have granted worldwide rights where appropriate.

GVL distributes remuneration for a wide range of contributions, including singers, instrumentalists, conductors, actors, dancers, dubbing artists, and stunt performers. If you contribute to any type of recorded production that is broadcast on German radio or television, you may be entitled to remuneration.

Related Resources

• Neighboring Rights - What neighboring rights are and how they differ from performance royalties
• Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) - How PROs like GEMA collect songwriter royalties in Germany
• Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
• GVL Official Website - Visit GVL for membership and rights management information
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings