About us
Your stage.
Your Sound.
Your crowd.
We are the German federal government’s central funding institution for popular music and jazz. Artists and their music are at the core of our work in the cultural sector.
We are committed to supporting a diverse musical landscape, future-oriented economic structures, ecological sustainability, and social justice for all. That’s why we help artists, live music, infrastructure and music businesses throughout Germany in implementing their ideas and realizing their visions.
With our programs and activities, we create space for artistic and economic development. We promote and represent music and cultural producers, as well as Germany as a music hub, both at home and abroad.
Partners/Supporters
Without the support of sponsors and partners, our work for rock, pop and jazz music would not be possible. They facilitate our funding programs, original projects and our main office.
The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM)

It is a duty of the state to protect the freedom of artistic expression and to create the conditions required for cultural life to flourish. Germany’s Federal Government supports cultural institutions and projects that are of national importance and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), Minister of State Monika Grütters, is responsible for promoting culture for the government. The BKM has been promoting institutions and projects within the framework of cultural federalism since 1999 and has been the main sponsor of Initiative Musik since 2007. The BKM has also assumed a portion of the costs for Initiative Musik’s administrative offices, which are co-financed by the GVL and GEMA.
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)

Initiative Musik has been coordinating the German joint presentation at the South by Southwest (SXSW) creative conference in Austin, Texas, for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs since 2010. The joint presentation at GERMAN HAUS – with participation of numerous German federal states and private-sector partners – and the trade show stand is the largest presentation of the German cultural and creative industries abroad.
German Federal Foreign Office

Since 2011, Initiative Musik has been regularly putting together musically-themed tours for the Federal Republic of Germany’s Visitors Programme with the financial support of the Federal Foreign Office. International music journalists and other experts are invited to Germany to experience a wide variety of pop-cultural events on these tours. These programmes convey an authentic, up-to-date and differentiated picture of Germany and thereby contribute to improving the image of the German music industry abroad.
German Society for the Administration of Neighbouring Rights (GVL)

Anyone who performs something artistic or creates the economic basis for this must receive money for the exploitation of their performances. GVL, the society for the administration of neighbouring rights, captures and manages such exploitations of music and film productions. GVL records this use and forwards the money collected in trust for example from radio and television stations and public reproduction (e.g. in restaurants or cafés) as remuneration to its rights holders. More than 170,000 performers, producers of sound recordings and audiovisual recordings, music and music video clip producers as well as event organisers place their trust in GVL – and thus make GVL one of the biggest collective management organisations and music licensing companies for neighbouring rights in the world.
GVL has been an Initiative Musik partner since 2007 and has been helping finance Initiative Musik’s administrative offices from the very start
German Music Authors’ Society (GEMA)

Composers and lyricists, the authors of musical works and music publishers are all united under GEMA’s umbrella. GEMA, a collective management organisation, manages remuneration claims and entitlements for its members globally wherever their copyright-protected musical works are used. It also campaigns on behalf of its members in the political arena to ensure copyright is appreciated in future. The organisation is also active in numerous funding projects for a diverse musical culture. GEMA has been helping finance the Initiative Musik administrative offices since 2007.
German Music Council

We believe that Germany must become a knowledge-based and creative society and that education and culture play a decisive role in this development. That is why the German Music Council and its partners are involved in all areas of social life related to music and are committed to making Germany a vibrant country for it. With its member associations and the State Music Councils, the German Music Council sees itself as an advisor and centre of excellence for politics and civil society. Along with the GVL, the German Music Council has been an Initiative Musik partner since 2008.
Supervisory Board
Our Supervisory Board consists of 14 people. They are appointed by our shareholders (GVL and Deutscher Musikrat) and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The members cover the broad spectrum of the music industry in Germany. With the new members appointed in 2022, emphasis was placed on increasing the number of creative professionals, thus once again focusing on the needs of artists.

© Christoph Petras
Birgit Böcher
Managing Director Deutscher Musikverleger-Verband e.V.

© Christoph Petras
Martin Eifler
Music Department K22 for the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

Frank Fischer
Department VIB5 – Culture and Creative Industries, Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection

© Christoph Petras
Prof. Dieter Gorny
Member of the Executive Board of the German Music Council Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Initiative Musik

© BVMI/Markus Nass
Sigrid Herrenbrueck
Head of Press and Public Relations, Bundesverband Musikindustrie

@ Bella Lieberberg
Balbina Jagielska
Singer, Composer and Songwriter

© Christoph Petras
Dr. Nathalie Schierloh
Music Department K22 for the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Deputy Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Initiative Musik

© Paola Vertemati
Pamela Schobess
Political Spokeswoman LiveMusikKommission e.V., operator Gretchen Berlin

Karo Schrader
Songwriter

© Michael Reinhardt
Detlef Tiemann
Singer, Chairman of the GuDV

© Christoph Petras
Sara Torchani
Artist Management, Creative Director, Consultant

© Janine Kuehn
Lisa Tuyala
Cultural Manager (Kulturkabinett e.V.), Musician, Co-Initiator Women* of Music

© Stefan Wieland
Dr. Ralf Weigand
Composer and producer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of GEMA, Managing Director of PLAN 1 MEDIA GmbH & Co. KG

© Christoph Petras
Dr. Birte Wiemann
Chairwoman of the Board, VUT – Verband unabhängiger Musikunternehmer*innen e.V., Project Manager at Cargo Records GmbH