Additional programme at the General Assembly
Additional programme at the General Assembly
We have prepared exciting sessions as part of our fringe events for you. You can gather news and infos on current topics from within GEMA but also from external experts. All the following info events are held hybrid.
Full authors who are represented at the General Assembly can still participate digitally in the events of the supplementary programme.
Info-Brunch: 11.30 am to 12.30pm
Songwriting Essentials: Guidelines for creative songwriting and producing
How to Succeed in Songwriting and Come Up with Great Song Ideas.
Artist Linda Stark and music producer Benni Dernhoff will discuss these questions and more with some tips and advice and share some personal stories and anecdotes from their everyday life as songwriters.
Speaker: Linda Stark (Singer/Songwriterin), Benni Dernhoff (Songwriter & Musikproduzent)
Moderation: Clara Zumbiel (GEMA, Key Account Management for Authors)
Panel: 12.30 am – 13.30 am
TikTok marketing and content creation
SongPush (an agency specialising in TikTok marketing and campaigns) discusses its learnings on “successful TikTok campaigns and content creation” with its business partner, the leading influencer marketing firm ENKIME. Further input will be provided by an artist with experience and audience reach on TikTok.
Speaker: Oliver Delfendahl (Co-Founder ENKIME), Marcus Cremer (Co-Founder Songpush) , Stefan Kling (Co-Founder Songpush)
Moderation: Clara Zumbiel (GEMA, Key Account Management for Authors)
Panel: 18.00 pm – 19.00 pm
Generative artificial intelligence in the music industry: insights into the AI study and current developments
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest technological shifts for the creative industries. As a CMO, we see the challenges and opportunities that come with this new technology. Find out more about the key outcomes of the recently published AI Study, about how GEMA handles AI and about the impact generative AI has on the music industry.
Speaker: Michael Duderstädt (Direktor Politische Kommunikation der GEMA) , Julia Friebe (Manager & Team-Lead im Bereich Innovationsmanagement), Stefanie Moser (Projektmanagerin Innovative Technologien im KI Team der GEMA)
What’s next for CDs?
Reform of licensing of, and royalty distribution on physical media
The market for physical media such as CDs or DVDs has been shrinking sharply and steadily for years. Our aim is to secure the future exploitation of copyrights in this field by simplifying and streamlining licensing and distribution processes significantly. This will allow GEMA to respond flexibly to new market trends. We will introduce you to the change in GEMA’s royalty distribution scheme that is up for vote in this context and look forward to discussing it with you.
Speaker: Dr. Monika Staudt (Direktorin VBC & SKMV (interimistisch) der GEMA), Britta Stoffels (Referentin CoE Verteilung), Michael Schmidt (Abteilungsleiter Lizenzierung Vervielfältigungsrechte)
Information-breakfast: 8.30 am
Mental health in the music industry
Mental health is a topical issue in the music industry. How can one take care of one’s mental health and build resilience despite high stress levels, for example while on tour? Artist Diana Goldberg shares her experience from her everyday life as a musician and discusses her perspective with the association “MiM – Mental Health in Music” and music manager, publisher and producer Henrik Kersten. The panel will be moderated by Ariane Petschow of MusicHub.
Speaker: Diana Goldberg (Singer/Songwriterin), Franziska Lauter (Co-Founderin MiM-Verband) , Henrik Kersten (Verleger/Manager)
Moderation: Ariane Petschow (Marketing Lead MusicHub)
Panel: 10.00 am – 11.00 am
Sustainability in the music industry
A discussion on the topic of sustainability in touring and festival production. The initiative “Music Declares Emergency” is an organisation with roots in the music industry that is committed to addressing the climate emergency. Together with the Wacken Festival and the Sustainability Manager of Milky Chance, we will discuss actions and experiences.
Speaker: Tine Theurich (Aktivistin und Mitgründerin MDE Deutschland/Geschäftsführerin der Kommunikationsagentur "SUPERUNKNOWN") , Anja Lorenz (GEMA Nachhaltigkeitsmanagerin), Sonja Lachenmeyr (Dirigentin)
Moderation: Christin Gläßler (Teil der Arbeitsgruppe Nachhaltigkeit & Managerin in der Abteilung Strategy, Innovation & New Business bei der GEMA)
Panel: 16.30 pm – 17.30 pm
Digitisation of usage recording at GEMA
From Setup to Sound File Upload: Digitalisation of Music Use Monitoring by GEMA. In an open discussion by a panel of experts, we will provide an overview of current developments in usage reporting in various distribution categories. Topics touched upon will include monitoring of public-service broadcasters, usage reports on the GEMA Online Portal (setup) and live event monitoring. There will also be an opportunity for questions from members
Speaker: Bernd Leuschner (Head of Key Account Management), Benjamin Lambert (GEMA), Jochen Berg (Leiter Juristische Grundsatzfragen und Geschäftsentwicklung in der Direktion Sendung und Online), Jens Kindermann (Abteilungsleiter Mitglieder- und Repertoiremanagement im Bereich Produkte), Frank Schulze ( Business Process Manager – VBC Music Reporting Support)
Break-Out-Session: 17.30 pm – 18.00 pm
MusicHub
MusicHub presents a compact and dynamic session providing an overall view of recent developments and future innovation of the platform.
The agenda will include an introduction from the Strategy & Development Directorate followed by an insightful presentation by MusicHub’s new CEO Max Fellmuth, who will give both a review and an outlook for the future. A live demo will show practical examples of how current features of MusicHub can be used, and a Q&A-session will be held to give the audience the opportunity to ask questions and provide valuable feedback.
This session is your chance to learn directly from the people behind MusicHub, to exchange ideas and to explore the wide range of possibilities MusicHub offers for music creators.
Speaker: Tilmann Hemminger (Abteilungsleiter Strategy, Innovation & New Business), Max Fellmuth (Geschäftsführer MusicHub)
Get Together: 18.00 pm – 20.00 pm
The informal get-together takes place after the curia meetings. Here you can round off the day with a drink and meet and network with colleagues from the industry.
Ideas, food for thought and innovations from members: mysician, a platform for mediation and networking in the music industry
Our “Ideenbox” initiative of autumn 2022 allowed members for the first time to submit ideas for offerings that make the work of music creators easier. Together with our members, we have expanded on, and developed the idea of a platform for members and other players in the music industry to network and find jobs and projects. Learn more about the current status of the “mysician” idea and give us feedback during this interactive breakfast session with GEMA’s Innovations Team.
Speaker: Adam Egerer (Manager in der Abteilung Strategy, Innovation & New Business), Julia Friebe (Manager & Team-Lead im Bereich Innovationsmanagement), Oliver Kruse (Manager in der Abteilung Strategy, Innovation & New Business)Technical tuition
We want to give members the opportunity as part of this session to test the hybrid event system in the run up of the General Assembly 2023 and to ask questions how it all works.
The tuition is mainly directed at such members who are planning to participate digitally.
Event date:Monday, 8 May, from 3.30 to 5pm
Registration
You need to have registered in our online registration system until 05 May.
You will find the Login-Link to the event here shortly.
When you log in to the event system, please use the personal password sent to you with your invitation and your membership number pr your email address and the password you selected in the course of of the registration process, if you are representing a member.
Details on the technical requirements for taking part in the General Assembly digitally you can find in our FAQs.
Discussion sessions of the professional categories
Before the hybrid General Assembly, the discussion sessions are meant to provide full members, their representatives and delegates the opportunity to gather information about the agenda items relevant to them within their own professional categories, and to ask questions.
The discussion sessions of full members are held digitally as follows:
Event dates:
Registration
Participants must register by 1pm of the event day via the online registration system at the latest. You will get an email with the access data from us about half an hour before the event begins.
The discussion sessions of the professional categories will be run via the conference tool Teams (webinar mode). This means that only the presenters will be visible at the beginning.
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If you have already installed Microsoft Teams on your computer, you can take part by clicking on the invitation link directly via the programme.
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If you have not installed Teams yet, you can participate in the event via one of the two browsers, Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome without having to install Teams. Just open the link to the event in one of the two browsers and select the option “continue on this browser”. Then, enter your full name in the entry field and click on “join now”.
You can ask questions via the chat function of Teams. If you want to ask a question live via video feed, please raise your hand by selecting the respective button in Teams. You will then be called up by the moderator. Please note that you then have to activate your camera and your microphone by clicking on the respective button so that the rest of the participants can see and hear you.
The agenda for the General Assembly is located together with additional information on all agenda items here.
Personal discussions at the General Assembly
In personal discussion sessions, the associate members have the opportunity to exchange their views on the agenda and other topics of interest, and to vote on them, where applicable. By popular demand from the membership, personal discussion sessions will take place directly before the assembly of the associate members in a hybrid format. It is possible that the professional categories hold by-elections of Delegates directly after the personal discussions.
Event dates:
Registration
To participate digitally and for representatives to take part, it is required to register in the online registration system before the event.
When you log in to the event system, please use the personal password sent to you with your invitation and your membership number pr your email address and the password you selected in the course of of the registration process, if you are representing a member.
Info breakfasts, break-out sessions, panels
We have prepared exciting sessions as part of our fringe events for you. You can gather news and infos on current topics from within GEMA but also from external experts. All the following info events are held hybrid.
Full authors who are represented at the General Assembly can still participate digitally in the events of the supplementary programme.
Monday, 14:00 - 19:00
Kick-off event: GEMA x WISE - Music AI Summit
Limited places, currently no more registration possible
Tuesday, all day
Childcare
Tuesday, 12:00 - 13:00
Lunchtalk: Women* in the music industry - promotion, challenges & visions for the future
Open to anyone interested in a more diverse and equitable music scene.
Tuesday, 12:30 - 13:30
Panel: Social Media Deep Dive: How can I use TikTok & Co. Use profitably for me in 2025?
TikTok is still the most popular platform for new social media content. But how can you use it efficiently and profitably for yourself in 2025?
Tuesday, 12:30 - 13:30
Panel: Muse, machine, market? AI in the music industry
Industry experts and GEMA employees will provide an overview of AI applications in the music industry.
Tuesday, 13:30 - 14:30
Panel: From Germany to the world - producers from 29th Avenue Publishing give tips and tricks for successful placements.
How can you achieve national and international success with your beats and productions?
Tuesday, 13:30 - 14:45
Panel: The future of cultural promotion - reform of GEMA in the live sector (Motion 22 a)
A reform of cultural promotion is crucial for the musical diversity of GEMA. The aims of the reorganisation are broad acceptance among the membership, more fairness and transparency through the dissolution of the E and U categories and a stronger focus on new talent and niche repertoire.
Tuesday, 18:00 - 19:00
Panel: AI and GEMA: New paths and innovative solutions for the future - lawsuits and licence model
Artificial intelligence is changing the world of music - and posing new challenges for copyrights. GEMA will present its licensing model and discuss the lawsuits that GEMA has initiated against AI providers.
Tuesday, 19:00 - 02:00
Members' party
Celebrate with us - the big members' party with presentation of the Fred Jay Award is coming up! On Tuesday we invite you to spend an unforgettable evening together with delicious drinks and good food.
Wednesday, all day
Childcare
Wednesday, 09:00 - 11:00
Hangover breakfast
You can ring in the morning after the members' party in a special atmosphere with other GEMA members and employees on the local Ferris wheel. The gondolas will be put together at random. First come - first served.
Wednesday, 09:00 - 09:30
Meet & Greet: The new Social Fund Board of Trustees introduces itself
The new Board of Trustees of the GEMA Social Fund took up its work at the beginning of 2025 and introduces itself to the membership here.
We are using the occasion to engage in personal dialogue on the topic of social promotion at GEMA in a relaxed setting.
Wednesday, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Infocafé: The future of cultural promotion
A reform of cultural promotion is crucial for musical diversity at GEMA. Over a morning coffee, we offer the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other and with GEMA experts. The aim is to enable an informed vote on the applications 22.
Wednesday, 16:15 - 17:00
Panel: Mental health in the music industry
The life of musicians can be very stressful. This panel will provide tips and tricks on how to stay mentally healthy.
Wednesday, 16:45 - 17:15
GEMA@BackstagePro - Network & mediation for members
Together with the magazine BackstagePro, GEMA is planning to create a new networking opportunity.
Wednesday, 17:00 - 18:00
Panel: Sustainability in the music scene - Festivals
How do festivals manage to act sustainably and what does GEMA itself do to achieve this?
Wednesday, 18:00 - 20:00
Get Together
We come together again in a relaxed atmosphere to round off day 2 together.
Thursday, all day
Childcare
For orientation
Take a closer look at the site plan.
Timetable
Knödelstage: Line-Up
Highlights
Membership party - Tonhalle
Membership Party- Tonhalle
“Celebrate with us – the big membership party with the Fred Jay Award ceremony is coming up!”
It’s that time of the year again: On Tuesday, we invite you to enjoy good food and delicious drinks and to spend an unforgettable evening together!
Like every year, we hold the ceremony for the very coveted Fred Jay Award. As every year, we honor outstanding personalities who have mastered the art of songwriting to perfection. This year, our award winner is Bodo Wartke - who will perform live on our stage as a special highlight at the end of the award ceremony!ho gets it this year shall remain our little secret - but we can promise you this: It is an extraordinary personality who has mastered the art of songwriting to perfection. And of course, there will be a live performance by the award winner on our stage!
So let’s celebrate together what joins us all: the love for music.
Be a part of it when we celebrate music and its words!
Networking
Networking
One day after the membership party in the Tonhalle, we also invite you on Wednesday evening to a relaxed get together in the Nachtkantine right next door. Together, we will bring the second assembly day to a close with snacks and drinks and leave time and space for individual plans on that evening.
After all, in addition to our official event spaces, there are many other options to meet up in the Werksviertel Mitte in very different kinds of ambiences:
In the Fitzroy bar, overlooking the whole of Munich, at the Knödelplatz [dumpling square] in front of our music stage or in one of the many other places catering for your pallet – there’s something for everyone here!
A particular highlight this year – the Katerfrühstück [hangover breakfast]
On the morning after the membership party, we invite you to a “Katerfrühstück” on the ferris wheel on the grounds. Register for one of the four time slots and you will be randomly matched for a ride with other members!
Panels & expert presentations
Panels & expert presentations
´You can choose from a range of panels and expert presentations where specialist staff of GEMA meet experts on the respective topics from the relevant business sectors.
Some of the highlights:
- We will inform you about current and future reform projects and invite you to take part in Q&A sessions
- We will report on the developments in the AI sector, offer an overview of the applications in the music industry and provide extensive information about the lawsuits GEMA has filed
- We will speak about mental health in the music industry
- We will look into the question what festivals do to be more sustainable
Info café
Info café
A very warm welcome to you in our info café!
In a relaxed atmosphere, staff and partners of the GEMA+ programme invite you to a chat at 10 themed stands, located between a barista bar and lounge chairs.
Throughout the day, we will be here for you and listen to your questions about the Online Portal, your royalties, the realignment of GEMA's cultural promotion and many other topics, and to give you personalised advice.
New this year: Book a time slot via the live system at one or several stands so that you can schedule your General Assembly even better.
Knödelstage
Knödelstage
Another exciting new feature of GEMA’s General Assembly this year is the Knödelstage! [dumpling stage]
For three days, we will give more than 20 bands and artist a stage at the Knödelplatz. Each day will have its own motto which ensures there’s enough musical diversity and special moments.
From rock and pop to jazz and electronic music – there’s something here for everyone. The Knödelstage is accessible to the public and provides a fantastic opportunity to discover new music and to party together. Just come by and experience this musical diversity with us! We are looking forward to you and to three days of music and good atmosphere.
Childcare
Kinderbetreuung
We offer all-day childcare on all three days of the event. Childcare will be provided in a secure area in "Werk 1" in the immediate vicinity of the event venues. Prior registration is required.
Women*lunch
Frauen*lunch
Lunchtalk: Women* in the music industry - support, challenges and visions for the future
In this lunchtalk, we will talk about the particular challenges faced by women* in the industry and discuss how we can initiate change together with our female supervisory board members. We will also provide an overview of GEMA's current initiatives to promote its female* members. The audience is cordially invited to actively participate and ask questions - because change happens through dialogue.
Open to anyone interested in a more diverse and fairer music scene.
Creative Sessions
Creative Sessions
What celebrated its premiere last year is now entering its second round:
The MGV Creative Session brings songwriters, producers and creative minds together - directly within the framework of the GEMA General Assembly. In 2024, not only new connections were made, but also real tracks, some of which have already been released! There was a lot of interest, which is why we're continuing:
This year, we are once again organising exclusive studio sessions in cooperation with the producers from 29th Avenue Publishing: Interested parties could apply via the GEMA+ newsletter for three sessions on Tuesdays & Wednesdays with 4 songwriters each.
New this year: the Open Mic Hour
On Wednesday, 14 May, we will open the studio doors to all creative sessions for one hour at 13:00. Come along and listen to the first results, give your feedback and connect directly for the next session.
Nachhaltigkeit
Nachhaltigkeit
What celebrated its premiere last year is now entering its second round:
The MGV Creative Session brings songwriters, producers and creative minds together - directly within the framework of the GEMA General Assembly. In 2024, not only new connections were made, but also real tracks, some of which have already been released! There was a lot of interest, which is why we're continuing:
This year, we are once again organising exclusive studio sessions in cooperation with the producers from 29th Avenue Publishing: Interested parties could apply via the GEMA+ newsletter for three sessions on Tuesdays & Wednesdays with 4 songwriters each.
New this year: the Open Mic Hour
On Wednesday, 14 May, we will open the studio doors to all creative sessions for one hour at 13:00. Come along and listen to the first results, give your feedback and connect directly for the next session.
MGV-Nachhaltigkeit
Im Werksviertel spielt die Musik
Visit us at our GEMAplus exhibition stand to find out more about our benefits programme. GEMAplus offers a wide range of extra benefits you can enjoy as a member, e.g. a large number of webinars and workshops, showcases at popular festivals and a list of potential partners that can support you in your music career. Whichever stage you are at in your career, we have the tools and resources to support you. Meet us at the GEMAplus stand and lets build your success in music together!
Am Stand: Oliver Kruse (Manager bei Strategy, Innovation & New Business), Luca Belloco (Membership Development Manager GEMA), Lena Schmidt (Editorial Manager BEFORE EIGHT Group GmbH, Daniel Lohmann (CFO & Co-Founder BEFORE EIGHT Group GmbH, Bernd Wulff (WVS), Georg von Siwers (WVS)
Membership party
The membership party, during which the Fred Jay Award will be presented, takes place on 13 May 2025 from 7.00 pm at Werksviertel Mitte in Munich.
If you would like to take part in the members' party, please register in advance by 9 May using our members' meeting registration tool:
Information stands
As usual, you will have the opportunity to talk to GEMA employees at our information stands at the General Assembly 2025. The stands will be available on all three days of the event. You can already book a personal consultation appointment at one of the 10 information stands in our MGV-Live tool.
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