GVL for musicians: money for your recordings, not your songs
Germany's second collecting society: who counts as a performer, what gets paid — and why the free contract pays nothing without your reports.
When your recording plays on German radio, two payments happen. One goes to whoever wrote the song — through GEMA. The other goes to everyone who can be heard on the recording — through the GVL, Germany's collecting society for performers and producers. Bands based in Germany deal with it directly. Based elsewhere, you still meet the GVL once your recordings run in Germany — whether your own country has a counterpart is a question this text hands back. Miss the second society and you give up one of the two payments.
The GVL contract costs nothing and is concluded online. What brings money afterwards is your reports: the GVL pays only for recordings where you have reported your participation.
Who counts as a performer
Everyone whose playing is on the recording: singers, instrumentalists, session musicians, conductors. You need not have written a note — a session guitarist on another band's album holds their own performer's right in that recording and reports it to the GVL.
That makes the GVL broader than GEMA for most bands: GEMA covers only those who compose or write lyrics. The GVL covers everyone who plays or sings on the recording. What GEMA does for the writers is in GEMA for musicians.
What the GVL pays for — and what runs elsewhere
Money flows from three sources: broadcast of your recordings on radio and TV, public playback — in bars and cafés, say — and the private-copying levy collected on storage media such as smartphones.
Two things run outside the GVL: your live show itself (it counts only when broadcast) and streaming on Spotify and the like — streaming money comes through your distributor or label.
The route to the first GVL money
Sign the agreement online
The rights administration agreement is concluded online at gvl.de and costs nothing — no admission fee, no annual fee. Each person signs individually; the band as a whole cannot.
Report your participations
In the meine.gvl portal you enter, per recording, who did what — vocals, guitar, drums. Without that report the GVL does not know you are on the recording, and pays nothing.
Repeat with every release
New recording, new report — easiest right after the release, while everyone still remembers the line-up. You have four years per report, so recent releases can still be reported late.
When money arrives
Distributions follow the year of use: what was broadcast and played in one year is distributed after it ends. Sign and report today and the first money arrives later, not next week — but the four-year window also means the releases of your last few years are still in play.
FAQ: GEMA beside the GVL, concerts and the producer role
We write and play everything ourselves — do we need GEMA and GVL?
Yes, both — they are two different rights in the same song. GEMA pays for the work, the GVL for the recording. If you write and play, you sign both contracts and collect from both pots; if you only play, you need only the GVL. How you settle the shares in a jointly written song is in split sheets for bands.
Does our live concert count?
The show itself, no — the GVL pays for recordings, and a concert is not one. It changes when a broadcaster records and airs the show: the broadcast is then a transmitted recording with your participation on it.
We released without a label — are we also the producer?
The GVL also represents the producers of recordings. If you paid for and released the production yourselves, that role is yours too — it has its own contract and its own share. Clarify at signing whether you report as performers only or as producer as well.
The short version
The GVL pays everyone who can be heard on a recording — GEMA pays whoever wrote the song. The GVL contract is free, each person signs individually, and money follows reported participations only: broadcast, public playback, private copying. Four years of reporting window means your recent releases still count. Report right after every release — later, nobody remembers who played the tambourine.
Figures as of September 2026, from the sources named below.
Sources
- gvl.de, performers section (free online rights administration agreement, paid uses, reporting via the meine.gvl portal, four-year reporting window)
Updated: 2026-09-13
Note
This article provides general information. It is neither tax advice within the meaning of the German Tax Consultancy Act (StBerG) nor legal advice within the meaning of the Legal Services Act (RDG). No individual case is assessed here. For your tax situation please consult a tax adviser (Steuerberater); for legal questions, a lawyer.
Contribution rates, tariffs, levies and deadlines are adjusted regularly. Only the current publications of the competent bodies are authoritative — in particular GEMA, GVL, Künstlersozialkasse, Deutsche Rentenversicherung and the tax authorities. We prepare our content carefully but give no warranty as to accuracy, completeness or currency. Liability for intent and gross negligence, and for injury to life, body or health, remains unaffected.
Last reviewed: 13.09.2026
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