Artificial intelligence, streaming, and copyright: the music industry is facing major challenges. Technological innovations and social changes are increasingly putting musicians’ creative work to the test – more than ever in the digital age. New answers to old questions are now required regarding protection, preservation, and fair remuneration for artistic performances, and the pressure to find viable solutions is growing. These and other key issues were addressed at the annual general meeting, which took place from May 13 to 15, 2025, in Munich's Werksviertel district.
Around 1,000 composers, songwriters, and publishers gathered in Munich and online to discuss key issues in the music world and make landmark decisions for GEMA’s future. This marked a new record attendance. The event’s innovative format contributed to its success. It included numerous expert panels, networking opportunities, and concerts, which were also open to the public and a number of groundbreaking decisions were made. GEMA CEO Dr. Tobias Holzmüller, said, “In a time of global challenges and profound change, consistency and reliability are more important than ever. GEMA stands by its nearly 100,000 members as a strong and stabilizing partner – with a clear mission to protect our musicians’ creative output and ensure fair remuneration.”
“In a time of global challenges and profound change, consistency and reliability are more important than ever. GEMA stands by its nearly 100,000 members as a strong and stabilizing partner – with a clear mission to protect our musicians’ creative output and ensure fair remuneration.” – Dr. Tobias Holzmüller, CEO of GEMA
Holzmüller continued, “In 2024, we were able to distribute more than ever before to our members, achieving solid growth in all areas of income. This gives us the strength and confidence we need to actively shape the future of music together with our members! In addition to the challenging conditions in an economically and politically uncertain environment, we are also facing far-reaching changes. The increasing influence of artificial intelligence alone will significantly transform our society and our working world, especially in the music sector. These changes open up opportunities, but they also challenge existing structures and create new dependencies. Competent and forward-looking representation of our members’ interests is therefore essential!”
Reform of GEMA cultural funding: agreement on the need for reform
At this year's General Assembly, the musicians made numerous decisions – a strong democratic achievement given the many different genres represented by GEMA members. The focus this year was on discussing modern and targeted cultural promotion by GEMA that is open to all members and takes into account the cultural diversity of musical creativity in all its breadth. There was agreement among the membership that the current system is in need of reform – the details will now be discussed before the next General Assembly.
"Even after today's meeting, the pressure for reform remains. There was agreement among the membership on this, even though the motion narrowly failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority. We have a duty to our members to actively shape change and enable balanced cultural promotion for the entire membership in the long term, “ said Georg Oeller, member of the Executive Board.
"Even after today's meeting, the pressure for reform remains. There was agreement among the membership on this, even though the motion narrowly failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority. We have a duty to our members to actively shape change and enable balanced cultural promotion for the entire membership in the long term, “ – Georg Oeller, Member of Executive Board
”Cultural promotion is an essential pillar of our community. This is reflected in the fact that so many members took part in the vote. At this point in time, the reform proposal has not gained a two-thirds majority. We continue to see it as our mission to shape GEMA's funding practices in a future-proof manner with the aim of maintaining GEMA as a strong voice in a changing music world. We would like to remain at the forefront of international comparison with our sister societies when it comes to the allocation and meaningful use of financial resources for cultural promotion. However, we need consensus among our members on this issue. However, to do this, we need consensus among our members." – Ralf Weigand, Chairman of the Supervisory Board
For the first time, a diverse supporting programme was also open to the public
With a diverse supporting programme, the GEMA General Assembly also opened its doors to music lovers. On three days there were over 25 live performances by bands from a wide variety of genres and GEMA employees. These took place on the “Knödel-Stage” at Knödelplatz in Munich's Werksviertel district. German singer-songwriter “Oimara” provided a special moment, thrilling the audience with a surprise appearance on Wednesday evening.
GEMA members were also able to participate in a variety of specialist panels and workshops and learn about and discuss topics such as mental health in the music industry, sustainability at festivals, and the use of artificial intelligence in the creative process. GEMA staff were on hand at numerous information stands to answer questions.
Members' party and Fred Jay Award: reunion and exchange at Munich's Tonhalle
At the end of the first day, the traditional members' party took place, with the presentation of the Fred Jay Award. Around 1,000 musicians came together to celebrate and exchange ideas. This year, musical cabaret artist Bodo Wartke received the award, worth €15,000, for his musical career spanning over 30 years. The Award was presented by Dr. Michael J. Jacobson, son of Fred Jay, and accepted by Wartke in person. The laudatory speech was given by singer and composer Rainer Bielfeldt.
Music meets AI: AI Music Summit opens the GEMA General Assembly
The AI Music Summit kicked off the General Assembly week on May 12, 2025. Under the motto “Shaping the Future of Music with AI,” GEMA teamed up with WISE (The Future Festival & Think Tank) to organize an event for music creators, tech enthusiasts, and startups to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in the music industry. WISE organises, curates, and promotes events at the intersection of music and technology and advises companies in this field.
The event focused on questions relating to creative collaboration with AI, intellectual property protection, and the future of copyright. Special attention was given to the six startups that presented innovative solutions for AI-supported music production and rights management as part of a pitch. The winning startup Djoid was delighted to receive €3,000 in prize money. In addition, all six startups were invited to participate in the Fraunhofer Startup Cooperation funding programme.
In Germany GEMA represents the copyrights of around 98,000 members (composers, lyricists and music publishers) and over two million copyrights owners from all over the world in Germany. It is one of the largest societies for creators of musical works in the world.
Note to editors
Presse material will shortly be available.