Zav Kunstlervermittlung

What Zav Kunstlervermittlung does

ZAV-Künstlervermittlung is the official artist placement division of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency), operating as a publicly mandated, free-of-charge intermediary that matches performing artists with employers across Germany. Founded in 1952 and headquartered in Bonn, the organization serves a B2B employer base — film and TV production companies, theatres and stage venues, event organizers, and advertising agencies and brands — by sourcing actors, models, musicians, dancers, variety performers, and technical crew. It maintains a digital self-serve portal (zav.arbeitsagentur.de) offering searchable artist profiles, PDF sedcards, video content, and a wishlist ("Meine Merkliste") feature across 21 performance categories, complemented by seven physical regional offices in Berlin, Hamburg/Hannover/Rostock, Köln, Leipzig, München, and Stuttgart that provide direct employer consultation.

The service portfolio spans stage acting, film/TV (including Stab/Technik crew placement), advertising models and talent/extras, musical theatre, show and artistry, music entertainment, dance, opera/choir, orchestra, and a Transition-Beratung career-counseling module, alongside a Digital Performing Arts / Digitales Theater-KI service category. Annual showcase events MAP (since 2009) and EuMAP (since 2026, at Stage Theater Hamburg) connect graduating musical theatre talent from leading European academies directly with theatre intendants and casting directors. The platform is built on Bundesagentur infrastructure with cookie-based analytics (Matomo) and embedded YouTube content; there is no API, mobile app, or disclosed AI/ML capability.

ZAV does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded entirely through statutory employer and employee contributions to Germany's public unemployment insurance, and placement services for both artists and employers are provided free of charge. Marketing and outreach are conducted via institutional social channels (Facebook, X, YouTube, and five segment-specific Instagram accounts), industry event participation (Filmfest München, Talent Media Day Cologne, MOIN Crew Call, EuMAP 2026), and earned media. As a wholly owned division of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, it has no external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity; growth is programmatic and tied to its statutory mandate rather than commercial expansion.

Name

Zav Kunstlervermittlung

Legal name

Zentrale Auslands- und Fachvermittlung (ZAV) - Künstlervermittlung

Website

https://zav.arbeitsagentur.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZAV-Künstlervermittlung is the publicly mandated artist placement division of Germany's Federal Employment Agency, providing free, nationwide matching of performing artists, musicians, models, and crew to theatres, film/TV producers, event organizers, and advertising agencies via a digital portal and seven regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Talent Placement Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAGAA

Full-Service Artist Management

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Artist Management & Agencies

SECONDARYHSACAHAK

Talent Agency & Representation Services

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Entertainment Booking & Talent Management

Keywords

• Artist placement services
• Talent booking agency
• Performing arts recruitment
• Casting services
• Entertainment staffing

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Employment Services (Statutory): ZAV-Künstlervermittlung is a division of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). It is funded through statutory contributions from employers and employees in Germany as part of the broader public unemployment insurance system. No commercial revenue is generated. Placement services for artists and employers are provided free of charge. No subscription, transaction fee, or licensing revenue model applies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ZAV-Künstlervermittlung is the official government-run placement agency for performing artists, working musicians, models, advertising talent, and film/TV crew in Germany. It runs a free public digital directory covering 21 artistic disciplines, supports employers in finding and booking talent through a self-serve searchable portal and seven regional offices, and convenes flagship showcase events (MAP and EuMAP) to connect emerging musical theatre talent with European theatre decision-makers.

Product overview

ZAV-Künstlervermittlung operates as a unified artist placement platform administered by the German Federal Employment Agency. The platform offers a searchable catalog of performing artists across specialized service categories including Stage Acting (Schauspiel Bühne), Film/TV Production, Advertising Models, Musical Theater, Entertainment Shows & Artistry, Music Entertainment, Dance, Opera/Choir, and Orchestra services. The portfolio is unified under a single booking infrastructure that allows clients to browse artists, save favorites via the 'Meine Merkliste' feature, and submit booking inquiries. Additional services include Transition Consulting for career changes and a Digital Performing Arts division. The platform does not operate on a modular software architecture but functions as a government-operated directory and booking intermediary connecting performers with employers across Germany through multiple regional offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZAV Models: Specialized division for model placement and talent scouting
• ZAV Musical
• ZAV Unterhaltung
• ZAV Schauspiel

Products and services

• Performing Artist Placement Service The umbrella free public placement service covering professional actors, musicians, dancers, models, extras, and crew across 21 artistic disciplines, delivered through the searchable zav.arbeitsagentur.de portal and seven German regional offices.
• Schauspiel Bühne (Stage Acting Placement) Stage-acting placement service connecting professional actors and actresses with theatres, dramaturgies, and live performance productions across Germany.
• Film / Fernsehen Casting and Production Crew Placement Casting and crew placement service covering acting roles as well as technical production crew (Stab/Technik) for film, television, and media productions across Germany.
• Model and Advertising Talent Booking Booking service for professional models for advertising campaigns, commercial shoots, and brand activations across Germany.
• Advertising Talents and Extras Placement Placement service for advertising talent and extras used in commercial, content, and media productions.
• Musical Theatre Artist Placement Placement service specifically for musical theatre performers, supplementing direct listings with flagship showcase events MAP and EuMAP that connect European musical academy graduates with theatre intendants and casting directors.
• Show and Artistry (Variety Entertainment) Booking Booking service for variety entertainers, circus performers, cabaret artists, street performers, and special act performers.
• Music Entertainment Booking Booking service for musicians, bands, DJs, and walking acts for corporate events, festivals, public celebrations, and private functions.
• Dance Artist Placement Placement service for professional dancers across all dance genres, supporting ballet companies, contemporary stages, and choreographed productions.
• Opera and Choir Placement Placement service for opera singers and choir performers, supporting opera houses, concert halls, and choral ensembles across Germany.
• Orchestra Booking Booking service for orchestras and orchestral ensembles, placing musicians with German orchestras and concert programs.
• Puppetry and Object Theatre Placement Placement service for puppetry and object theatre artists connecting performers with stage productions and family entertainment.
• Transition-Beratung (Career Transition Consulting) Career transition consulting for performing artists exiting stage careers, including vocational retraining, career pivoting, and psychological support.
• Digital Performing Arts / AI-Enhanced Theatre Services Services related to AI-enhanced digital performances, virtual entertainment, and technology-integrated artistic production, supporting emerging digital and AI-driven performing arts.
• MAP and EuMAP Musical Theatre Showcase Events Annual showcase events bringing graduating musical theatre talent from leading European academies directly in front of German and European theatre intendants, casting directors, and producers for placement and recruitment.

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EuMAP (European Musical Absolvent*innenpräsentation) ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026EuMAP is a flagship annual showcase event co-organized by ZAV-Künstlervermittlung and leading European musical theatre academies. Participating institutions include Fontys Academie voor Muziek- en Musicaltheater Tilburg, Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel, StageArt Musical School Hamburg, Stage School Hamburg, Musical Factory Luzern, Academy of Music & Drama Gothenburg, Balettakademien Göteborg, International College of Musical Theatre (ICMT), and Institute of the Arts Barcelona. The event brings graduating musical theatre students directly in front of German and European theatre intendants, casting directors, and producers for placement and recruitment. ZAV has organized EuMAP since 2026, building on its earlier MAP (German) program established in 2009.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Castupload: German-headquartered online platform for actors, models, and talent to create digital sedcards and receive casting invitations. Direct peer to ZAV's online artist portal across Schauspiel, Models, Talents, and Film/TV categories.
• Kähler Management: Bonn-based private talent agency managing musical theatre artists, actors, and entertainers in the German market. Closely comparable to ZAV's Musical and Schauspiel categories with a focus on German theatre placement.
• Casting Networks: Digital casting platform used by casting directors and agencies worldwide for actor submissions, self-tapes, and project management. Closely comparable to ZAV's Film/Fernsehen and Schauspiel placement services for film and TV production clients.
• Agentur Lüddeckens: German talent agency representing actors and performers for stage, film, and television across Germany. Comparable to ZAV's Schauspiel Bühne and Film/Fernsehen placement services from a private-agency perspective.
• Backstage: Global casting platform and talent marketplace serving actors, models, and performing artists with auditions and job listings. Comparable to ZAV's role as a two-sided marketplace connecting artists with film, TV, theatre, and commercial employers.
• Stars in Concert / Spotlight Artists: German agency booking show acts, musicians, and variety performers for events and live entertainment. Overlaps directly with ZAV's Show & Artistik and Unterhaltung-Musik booking services for corporate events and festivals.

Regional players

• Münchner Agentur für Schauspieler: Munich-based private talent agency representing actors for stage and screen across German-speaking markets. Directly comparable to ZAV's Schauspiel Bühne and regional office offering in southern Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Major Model Management: Established German-based international model and talent agency operating a broader commercial portfolio across fashion, advertising, and media. Overlaps with ZAV's Werbung-Models segment while offering paid representation services ZAV does not.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Kuenstler_ZAV
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Kuenstlervermittlung
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kunstlervermittlung
• Instagraminstagram.com/zavkuenstlervermittlung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zav Kunstlervermittlung