The music industry is undergoing a transformation

At GEMA, we don’t just sit back and wait—we actively shape the future. Our 2025 financial year demonstrates how we have shaped the future of music. And we’re not stopping there: we’re already planning the next steps to shape the music world of tomorrow. 

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The music industry is facing far-reaching changes. In his opening address, GEMA CEO Dr Tobias Holzmüller discusses how GEMA is actively supporting this transformation, seizing opportunities and shaping the future of music.

The music industry is facing profound changes. In his video message, GEMA CEO Dr Tobias Holzmüller discusses how GEMA is actively supporting this transformation, seizing opportunities, and shaping the future of music.

Video message from Dr Tobias Holzmüller, CEO of GEMA
Context of the Topic “The Music Industry in Transition”

2025 was a year full of challenges, but also opportunities for GEMA. In his video message, CFO Lorenzo Colombini outlines the key financial figures, explains the reasons behind the growth, and looks ahead to how we will remain financially strong and efficient in the future.

Video message from Lorenzo Colombini, CFO of GEMA
Overview of the 2025 Fiscal Year

The GEMA Board of Directors 

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Dr Tobias Holzmüller

CEO

Dr. Tobias Holzmüller

Tobias Holzmüller, born in 1975, studied history and law at the universities of Glasgow, Montpellier, Heidelberg and New York (NYU, LL.M. 2007).
 
From 2004 to 2006, he was a doctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law and obtained his doctorate from Ludwig Maximilian University.
 
After being admitted to the bar in 2007, he worked at the law firm Gleiss Lutz until 2012. During this time, he specialised in German and European competition law, copyright law and EU law.
 
From January 2013 to March 2024, Tobias Holzmüller served as legal counsel for GEMA’s legal department and, since 2016, has also managed the affairs of the Central Agency for Private Copying Rights (ZPÜ).
 
In October 2023, he was appointed CEO of GEMA.
 
He is a member of the Antitrust Law Study Group and the Copyright Committee of GRUR. Tobias Holzmüller has published numerous articles on the subject of antitrust and copyright law.
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Georg Oeller

Deputy CEO

Georg Oeller

Georg Oeller was appointed to the GEMA Executive Board on 1 August 2009.
Georg Oeller, a qualified banker and lawyer, has been working for GEMA 
since 1995.

Prior to his appointment to the GEMA Executive Board, he was Director of the Settlement II and International divisions. He also served as President of the BIEM Management Committee from 2013 to 2024.
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Lorenzo Colombini

Member of the Managing Comittee

Lorenzo Colombini

Lorenzo Colombini was appointed Chief Financial Officer of GEMA on 1 July 2012.
A graduate in business administration (Luigi Bocconi University, Milan) and a native of Milan, 
he worked for the audit firms KPMG and Ernst & Young, 
before heading the Finance and Accounting department at the listed company Constantin Film AG in Munich from 2002 to 2009.

He took over the Finance and Accounting Department at GEMA in 2009, until he was appointed to the Executive Board in 2012.
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Ralph Kink

Member of the Managing Comittee

Ralph Kink

Ralph Kink, born in 1970, will take over the newly created ‘Digital Transformation’ portfolio on the GEMA Executive Board on 1 September 2024. 

He studied electrical engineering at the Technical University of Munich from 1990 to 1994 and subsequently began his career in software development before joining Microsoft in 1999. There, he held various senior management positions over a period of more than 25 years, including in corporate client consulting and product support, before taking on the role of CTO in 2017 to drive technological collaboration with Microsoft partners and thus support German businesses in their digital transformation.

Following his time at Microsoft, he co-founded and served as CTO of digital.fwd, a digital transformation consultancy established by several former Microsoft senior managers. There, his focus was on developing strategies for the deployment of artificial intelligence, particularly for SME clients.

In his new role at GEMA, he will drive technological development, strategically merge the CIO Office, IT and project portfolio management functions, and thereby advance digitalisation and innovation within GEMA.

Ralph Kink has gained extensive leadership experience in large matrix organisations and, as a manager and mentor, is committed to fostering a corporate culture that prioritises diversity and inclusion.

THE GEMA SUPERVISORY BOARD

The Supervisory Board is GEMA’s governing body. In accordance with the bylaws, it consists of 15 members, six of whom must be composers, four lyricists, and five publishers. Two alternates may be elected for each professional group.

The Supervisory Board was democratically elected by all ordinary members at the General Assembly on May 15 and 16, 2024. The election of the Chairperson took place at the Supervisory Board meeting on May 16, 2024.

As of December 31, 2025, the Supervisory Board was thus composed as follows: 

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Dr Ralf Weigand

Chairperson
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Frank Ramond

Vice Chair
Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

Dr Götz Von Einem

Vice Chair

MEMBERS OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD

Matthias Hornschuh

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Micki Meuser

Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

Michelle Leonard

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Andreas Weidinger

Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

Alexander Zuckowski

Tobias Reitz

Götz von Sydow

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DIane Weigmann

Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

BetTina Bonengel

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Jörg Fukking

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Michael OHst

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Patrick Strauch

DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVES

Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

Monika Roscher

Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

Johannes X. Schachtner

Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

Katharina Franck

Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

Anja Krabbe

Aufsichtsräte der GEMA

Elisabeth Dominik

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Diana Muñoz

The term of office of the members of the Supervisory Board runs from the close of the General Meeting at which they were elected until the end of the third regular General Meeting following their election. Re-election is permitted.

As of December 31, 2025

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the gema year 2025 in detail

pacemaker

We think ahead, address emerging issues, and set the pace. As a creative community, we advocate for and enforce copyrights—even against major tech companies. In doing so, we drive progress for our members and the music industry.
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Partner

Last year, we have grown to over 100,000 members. We remain the go-to partner for musicians and offer a wide range of additional services. We also maintain close ties with our customers, as they provide a platform for music. 
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Innovator

The music industry is changing, and we’re evolving alongside it. We’re driving digital transformation and AI, continuously improving our services, and leveraging data to develop innovative solutions. Initiatives like our chatbot Melody and the GEMA AI Hub demonstrate how we’re preparing our systems for the future. 
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Performer

Despite a challenging environment, GEMA continues to grow in 2025: revenues and distributions are on the rise, driven primarily by live music and public performance. The online business and international operations are also contributing to this success. At the same time, costs are falling, marking an important step toward an efficient GEMA in 2030
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Downloads

Here you will find the transparency and annual report, our press release for financial year 2025 and the key figures at a glance.
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