Collecting societies' reporting deadlines 2026 and 2027

Page last checked: 2026-09-28

Money from VG Wort, VG Bild-Kunst, GEMA and GVL (the German collecting societies, Verwertungsgesellschaften) is paid only for works and gigs that were reported. Two societies have just moved their dates. Here they are, as the societies publish them.

VG Bild-Kunst: reporting earlier from 2026

From 2026, VG Bild-Kunst moves its reporting deadline (Meldeschluss) from 30 June to 31 March. Reports to VG Bild-Kunst always cover the preceding calendar year. VG Bild-Kunst explicitly calls the deadline a cut-off (Ausschlussfrist): anything later is no longer taken into account. For picture agencies and for film, VG Bild-Kunst states rules of its own.

VG Wort: METIS changes from 2027

For press, radio, TV, audio recordings and academic publications (Wissenschaft), VG Wort states 31 January as the reporting deadline.

For all METIS reporting procedures — texts on the internet and e-books — VG Wort states 31 March, for the first time in 2027. For the transition VG Wort names its own dates: texts that reached the minimum number of accesses in 2024 can be reported to VG Wort under the old procedure until 31 March 2027, texts from 2025 to VG Wort until 31 March 2028.

GEMA: the setlist after the gig

“We require a setlist no later than 6 weeks after the performance”, GEMA writes — for concerts, festivals and events with live music. In principle, the organiser must submit it; they can delegate the task to the musicians. More under The GEMA setlist.

GVL

GVL publishes reporting deadlines for particular distributions. We found no general date for all contributions on its site — what counts is what GVL tells you for the distribution in question.

What this page does not say

Whether a particular work can be reported, and whether anything is paid out for it, is decided by the collecting society alone, under its distribution plan (Verteilungsplan) — fixed rules that §27 of the Collecting Societies Act (VGG) requires it to set. This page and Künstlerfinanzen do not answer that.

VG Wort: three calendar years

For radio, TV, press, academic publications and audio recordings, VG Wort says: „Jede Publikation kann einmalig gemeldet werden, sofern sie in den drei Kalenderjahren erschienen ist, die dem Meldeschluss vorangehen.“ (Each publication can be reported once, provided it appeared in the three calendar years preceding the deadline.) And: „Werke, die vor dieser Ausschlussfrist erschienen sind, können nicht mehr gemeldet werden.“ (Works that appeared before this cut-off can no longer be reported.) So a work can be reported to VG Wort at one of three successive deadlines, and not after that.

All dates in one place

The collecting societies' dates are listed together with those of the Künstlersozialkasse and the tax office in the overview of all deadlines. As a calendar file to subscribe to: ksk-fristen.ics.

Frequently asked questions

When is the VG Wort reporting deadline?

For press, radio, TV, audio recordings and academic publications (Wissenschaft), VG Wort states 31 January every year. For the METIS procedures — texts on the internet and e-books — VG Wort states 31 March, for the first time in 2027.

When is the VG Bild-Kunst reporting deadline?

From 2026, VG Bild-Kunst moves its reporting deadline to 31 March; previously it was 30 June. Reports to VG Bild-Kunst cover the preceding calendar year; VG Bild-Kunst calls the date a cut-off (Ausschlussfrist).

How long can a work be reported to VG Wort?

For radio, TV, press, academic publications and audio recordings, once, provided it appeared in the three calendar years preceding the VG Wort deadline. According to VG Wort, older works can no longer be reported.

Does GVL have a fixed reporting deadline?

GVL publishes reporting deadlines for particular distributions, for example 29 February 2024 for distribution year 2020. We found no general GVL date for all contributions on its site; what counts is what GVL states for the distribution in question.

Sources

By the Künstlerfinanzen editorial team. Page last checked: 2026-09-28. The information comes from:

This text reproduces the information published by the collecting societies and the statute. It is not legal advice. What applies to your works is answered by the collecting society concerned.