General Members’ Meeting

About the General Members’ Meeting

Each year, BumaStemra organizes a General Members’ Meeting (GMM). As a member of Buma or affiliate of Stemra, you can think along and discuss the future of the organization.

The General Members’ Meeting is a private meeting that is only accessible to our members and affiliates.

What’s on the agenda?

Prior to the General Assembly, the agenda will be shared via MijnBumaStemra. The agenda typically includes topics such as:

  • The (re)appointment of directors/members for the Board of Directors (RvB), Council of Members (RvR), Supervisory Board (RvT) and Buma Cultuur
  • Amendments and additions to the articles of association and regulations
  • Questions submitted by members
  • Approval of the minutes from the previous General Members’ Meeting
  • Financial statement

Sharing knowledge and networking

The GMM is also a great opportunity to catch up on developments in the music industry that affect you. It also gives you the chance to ask us questions and engage with fellow music creators.

In brief: What do the RvR, RvT and RvB do?

The Counsil of Members (RvR) represents all members. This council discusses with BumaStemra what is on the minds of music creators and publishers, considers improvements to the organization in your interest, and provides both solicited and unsolicited advice based on the specific knowledge and expertise of its members.

The Supervisory Board (RvT) oversees the policies of the Executive Board and the general course of affairs. It also provides professional and independent advice to the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors (RvB) is responsible for the overall and day-to-day management, operations, and results of the organization.

Frequently asked questions about the GMM

I cannot attend the General Members’ Meeting myself, what should I do?

If you cannot attend the General Members’ Meeting yourself, you can grant authorization to another Buma and/or Stemra member. The condition is that this person must also have voting rights and not already be authorized by someone else. For example, if you have voting rights at both Buma and Stemra, it is useful to authorize someone who also has voting rights for both Buma and Stemra. If the authorized person only has voting rights for Buma, they cannot cast a vote for you on behalf of Stemra.

You will find a link to the authorization forms in the invitation for the General Members’ Meeting, which you will receive no later than 6 weeks before the meeting.
You can also download these forms at the bottom of the General Members’ Meeting page.

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Who is allowed to vote on behalf of a publishing company?

A staff member of a publishing company may vote on behalf of the company, but only if this staff member is authorized to do so. Furthermore, this staff member may not be a registered author-member of BumaStemra. This means the staff member must be an executive officer, such as a manager or director, who is authorized to act on behalf of the publishing company. The publishing company itself determines who is authorized.

A person can only be the executive officer for one publishing company. If it turns out that the structure of the publishing companies is such that the same person is an executive officer for multiple publishing companies, a different executive officer must be found.

If someone is nominated on behalf of the publishing company for one of the boards of BumaStemra or Buma Cultuur, this person must be registered with BumaStemra as the executive officer. This person must remain registered as the executive officer for the entire term of office at BumaStemra on behalf of the publishing company.

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When can you vote as a publisher during the General Members’ Meeting?

You are granted voting rights at Buma and/or Stemra if you:

  • Have an exploitation contract with Buma and/or Stemra, and
  • Have registered at least 50 music works with Buma or Stemra, and
  • Have earned an average income of €3,560 (2025) per year from Buma and/or Stemra over the past three years.

You lose your voting rights if:

  • Your exploitation contract is terminated, or
  • The total income over the past five years is less than €14,240 (2025). This five-year period starts from the moment you obtained voting rights. Once you have voting rights, you will keep them for at least five years.

Each year in January, it is determined whether a member meets the above conditions. If you gain or lose voting rights, you will receive a letter from Buma and/or Stemra.

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Who is allowed to vote on behalf of an author’s BV/NV or foreign capital company?

If you, as an author of a company, hold at least 90% of the shares, you can register as an author to vote on behalf of the company. This is only possible if the company meets the membership requirements (exploitation contract and income threshold).

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When can you vote as an author during the General Members’ Meeting?

You are granted voting rights at Buma and/or Stemra if you:

  • Have an exploitation contract with Buma and/or Stemra, and
  • Have earned an average income of €356 (2025) per year from Buma and/or Stemra over the past three years.

You lose your voting rights if:

  • Your exploitation contract is terminated, or
  • The total income over the past five years is less than €1,424 (2025). This five-year period starts from the moment you obtained voting rights. Once you have voting rights, you will keep them for at least five years unless your exploitation contract is terminated within that period.

Each year in January, it is determined whether a member meets the above conditions. If you gain or lose voting rights, you will receive a letter from Buma and/or Stemra. If you don’t meet the conditions but are still within the five-year period of voting rights, you will not lose your voting rights.

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How does voting rights work at Buma and Stemra?

When reaching a certain income threshold, you are eligible to vote as a member of BumaStemra during the General Members’ Meeting.

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Who can vote?

Only natural persons (individuals) are allowed to vote. In Buma and Stemra, these are:

  • An author with voting rights or their heirs;
  • A registered author who is allowed to vote on behalf of an author’s BV/NV or a foreign capital company;
  • A publisher with voting rights. This refers to a sole proprietorship;
  • A publishing company with voting rights. A publishing company is an organization that performs the work of a music publisher, but on a much larger scale and with multiple employees. A staff member can vote on behalf of the publishing company. This staff member must be authorized to vote on behalf of the publishing company (executive officer). An executive officer is someone authorized to act on behalf of the publishing company, such as a manager or director. The publishing company determines who is authorized to vote.

You can only vote from one role. If you are a member through multiple roles, you must choose which role will cast the vote. You cannot vote on behalf of a publishing company and also as an author, or vice versa. For example, you also cannot vote simultaneously as a publisher and as an executive officer of a publishing company.

If you are a member of both Buma and Stemra, you may have voting rights for both. It is also possible to have voting rights for only Buma or Stemra. The same conditions apply to both organizations.

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