Verband Deutscher Tonmeister

The Verband Deutscher Tonmeister e.V. (VDT) is a registered association for audio industry professionals. The VDT has evolved from the Deutsche Filmtonmeister-Vereinigung (which focused on film sound professionals) that was founded in Munich in 1950.

There are currently more than 1900 members in the VDT that are either freelancers or employed in various institutions; e.g. in the film business, radio broadcasting, television, recording studios, record labels, theaters and performance venues, the audio equipment producing industry, research and development, multimedia education and other audio related areas of occupation. Students preparing for a job in the audio industry are also members of the VDT, making up roughly 10%.

Even though the designation of Tonmeister is a fixed part of the name of the association its members carry many other job titles like audio engineer, sound director, music director, sound designer, producer, record producer and music supervisor. The occupational title Tonmeister, although created in the 1930s, is not protected in Germany and does not describe a clearly defined occupation. Thematically the goals and activities of the VDT are related to those of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), even if there is no formal connection.

Umbrella organization

An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations. Sometimes in this kind of arrangement, the umbrella organization is to some degree responsible for the groups under its care. Compare to franchises and subsidiaries.

There may be many reasons for establishing/joining an umbrella organization: