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Thomas Coesfeld says that the next 10 years will be much different for BMG than the last 10.
Navigating the onslaught of generative artificial intelligence (AI), diverging streaming economic models and the slowdown in streaming revenue growth is among the challenges “that are keeping me up at night,” says the new CEO of the world’s fourth-largest music company, who sat down with Billboard for his first U.S. interview since succeeding Hartwig Masuch in July.
At 33, Coesfeld is the fresh young face of one of Europe’s oldest and most powerful media dynasties. His grandfather was Reinhard Mohn, a legendary CEO of BMG’s German parent company, Bertelsmann. Coesfeld’s predecessor also earned a spot in the media conglomerate’s corporate pantheon. Masuch reinvigorated BMG after serving as an adviser for the company’s uncoupling from Sony in 2007, building it into an entity that generated roughly 900 million euros ($947.7 million) annually. It’s now Coesfeld’s job to lead the company beyond the 1 billion euro mark ($1.1 billion) by 2024.
The Berlin-based executive spoke candidly about the challenge he faces being a relative newcomer to the music industry and the acumen he developed while overseeing BMG’s balance sheet since 2021 as the company’s CFO. Coesfeld received a baptism by fire as one of BMG’s chief negotiators for song catalog acquisitions during the market run-up in the early 2020s. From 2021 to 2023, he helped the company land 70 deals, including acquiring the catalogs of rock icons Mötley Crüe and Tina Turner, as well as those of Mick Fleetwood, Paul Simon, The Pointer Sisters, Peter Frampton and The Hollies.
A photo of Coesfeld’s grandfather, former Bertelsmann CEO Mohn, viewing the Manhattan skyline in 1954. Much like him, Coesfeld says he has a “strong fondness” for the United States.
Urban Zintel
Bertelsmann, flush with cash after its failed acquisition bid for Simon & Schuster, has promised to invest between 5 billion and 7 billion euros ($5.3 billion to $7.4 billion) across its companies through 2025 — an infusion that should help Coesfeld outpace BMG’s nearest competitors, Concord and HYBE, which are both on track to close $300 million to $500 million in company acquisitions this year. But competition doesn’t trouble Coesfeld. He is less combative and more collaborative than is typically found in the music industry.
“I’m convinced that the key challenge of the music industry is not fighting each other,” he says. “It’s not about conventional distinctions between segments, like frontline or catalog, or companies, like majors or indies. There are bigger challenges than that. What is needed is a more collaborative approach with business partners to face this more challenging environment.”
You’ve been in the CEO seat for just over 100 days. What is the five-year plan for BMG?
My predecessor was an entrepreneur who brought Bertelsmann back into the music space. He achieved a thing you don’t see that often, particularly in media. We are a very established company on a solid foundation. Now comes a new chapter. The next iteration of BMG will focus on better engaging with our artists, songwriters and business partners. I’m truly convinced we can only be effective if we are not focusing too much on ourselves — not building too much resources internally — but instead focusing on the value creation and service delivery for the artists and songwriters. Naturally, we will continue on our investment strategy.
What does BMG taking digital distribution in-house mean for the company’s future?
First, it allows us to significantly upgrade our services for artists. We get better in our marketing ability to advocate for the songs, campaign management, things like that. Second, we get better and direct access to the data feeds from the platforms. Artists care about that. The third point is it’s massively enhancing our service portfolio. This enables us to offer a bigger variety of deals for artists to allow them to choose what kind of service level they want. And then obviously, every intermediary takes fees. So this allows us to have a more sustainable business model, become more competitive and offer more competitive terms to our artists. And artists get the monies faster.
Another photo of Mohn.
Urban Zintel
How does integrating the frontline business and catalog help you achieve these goals?
What’s key on the recording side is marketing. What is new and increasingly important is understanding the [streaming] channels. You need expertise for each [digital service provider]. Spotify is really different from Apple. We’ve had a direct relationship with YouTube for the last eight months, and the results are phenomenal — not just from a topline perspective, which is the ultimate measure, but also in having access to data, providing improved service on marketing, trending and velocity to artists. If you look through the lens of marketing, frontline and catalog become more integrated because the skill that makes the difference is marketing and understanding the channel. Consumption is way more fragmented. Fans make their own choices. Music taste is the decisive factor.
What do you expect streaming growth to look like in the coming years?
Two trends are relevant: One is that the massive market growth for the future of streaming in Western markets will happen through price increases. The second is the majority of the volume growth will happen in the developing markets. The good news is that the market is still fundamentally growing — not at the same speed as in the past 10 years — but we still have a fundamentally attractive market.
We need to own distribution to fully understand the trends early on and to react faster, to market in more tailored ways. With lower growth, we need to be more precise in how we invest marketing dollars.
How would you describe your leadership style?
There is a German saying: “You always see each other twice in life.” The idea of this saying is you always have opportunities — from a power-play perspective, you’re in a better situation — but the more sustainable approach is to still treat everyone as partners. We are in it for the long run. This is, for me, a paradigm for how to act on a daily basis. I’m very grateful for the partnership we had [with ADA]. We tripled our revenue. We’ve learned a lot, and it was clear from the get-go that at some point in time we would leave. [Warner Music Group CEO] Robert [Kyncl] and I had very frank conversations about it.
The statuette, which was a gift from Coesfeld’s aunt, “represents ambition,” he says.
Urban Zintel
What opportunities do you see in the catalog market?
We have a well-oiled machine. We know how to assess catalog, pitch and discuss with artists and songwriters. Hartwig built a reputation. Artists and songwriters trust us. That’s a big opportunity from a positioning standpoint. Paired with a very committed parent company, which is willing to fund the further growth of this company, we see massive growth, and I remain very optimistic about the market fundamentals. There are a lot of things going on which may cause challenges — streaming economics, generative AI — but I see those as massive opportunities for the industry overall.
How have your previous executive roles at Bertelsmann shaped you, and how will they shape BMG?
This is my first CEO role. Now, I can’t blame the CEO any longer! I’m a firm believer from my own experience that the way you treat people, the way you interact in all types of relationships, is critically important to firm longevity and business success. If you take that and apply it to BMG, it’s even more important because our clients are a diverse set of characters. That’s why they have fans. They are not normal. They are not average. They are different. They are beyond that. Treating people with respect is critically important, and that sets Bertelsmann apart from other companies.
And in my CFO role, I had the privilege of being responsible for a catalog acquisition strategy. That helped me a lot in getting to know so many artists over the last two to three years. That introduced me quite well to this industry. Not having been around for decades in the music business was a challenge and, at times, still is.
A keyring that Coesfeld bought in New York when he was 12 and has carried with him since.
Urban Zintel
What is BMG’s view of the ongoing experiments with artist-centric and user-centric streaming payment models?
We are not the market maker there, which is important to understand our views. Overall, I welcome that we are having this discussion as an industry. What is on the table is a great step in the right direction. We are about to establish mechanisms to fight fraud, money laundering, things like that. Even more importantly, in light of gen AI, it is so easy to create music and to have artificial consumption of music.
How do you see this as a tool to address your concerns around generative AI?
If you don’t have mechanisms that make a distinction between human artistry and white noise, then something is wrong about the system. The streaming economics were designed 12 years ago. They are just not the appropriate models any longer. One thing I’d love to see more pronounced is trust in consumer choices — so a distinction between the superfan who is listening to just one artist and the more infrequent listener who is also paying $11 a month but listening to 50 streams a month.
What are the pitfalls and opportunities of generative AI?
I do see a fundamental threat to the ‘copyright-ability’ of human creativity. If regulators do not hold up, we will have a big issue. What keeps me optimistic is that fans don’t just care about the musical expression. It’s about the personality, the artist — especially for superfans.
Music-licensing company Epidemic Sound has signed Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jordin Sparks, the company tells Billboard. Under the deal, Sparks will collaborate with Epidemic’s in-house team — including musicians, producers and A&Rs — to create a collection of “classic Christmas songs” to be released later this year, with Epidemic distributing. The tracks will be made available to Epidemic’s global community of content creators along with being released to all streaming platforms.
“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Jordin Sparks. Jordin is an extraordinary superstar who has significantly impacted the music industry,” said John Cleary, Epidemic’s director of music recruitment & music U.S., in a statement. “Creators, filmmakers, marketers, and storytellers know the power of music in telling a compelling story, and they seek amazing music to elevate their content. By collaborating with Jordin, Epidemic Sound can continue catering to content creators’ needs while simultaneously amplifying her artistry globally and unveiling her tracks to our global ecosystem of creators and international fanbase.”
Sparks rose to fame after winning season 6 of American Idol and has since released three Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles including “No Air” with Chris Brown, “Tattoo” and “Battlefield.” According to a press release, she’ has’s sold more than 10 million tracks in the United States alone. In 2014, Sparks won a BMI Pop Award in 2014 for co-writing Ariana Grande and Mac Miller‘s hit single, “The Way.”
“I’m excited for this new partnership with Epidemic Sound,” said Sparks in her own statement. “They have empowered artists to thrive commercially, creatively and to reach new audiences. The freedom they give artists to choose their own path and work on different projects at the same time is unique and inspiring. I’m excited to join a roster of incredible artists and I’m looking forward to working with Epidemic Sound’s team!”
Epidemic Sounds’ remuneration model offers upfront payments, a 50-50 royalty split from streaming revenue and a quarterly soundtrack bonus. The company allows artists to work under non-exclusive agreements.
Bryce Leatherwood, winner of season 22 of NBC’s The Voice, signed with Universal Music Group Nashville in alliance with Republic Records. His label debut, “The Finger,” releases Oct. 27. Leatherwood is also signed with Morris Higham Management, CAA, Sony Music Publishing and O’Neil Hagaman. – Jessica Nicholson
Canadian singer-songwriter ThxSoMch signed with UTA for global representation in all areas. His track “Spit in My Face!” has been certified platinum by the RIAA, broke into the Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 9 on Billboard‘s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. His most recent singles include “Caroline,” “Hate” and “Crumbled,” while his debut EP, Sleez, was released May 19. ThxSoMch is signed to Elektra Records.
Berlin-based composer-producer Ben Böhmer signed to Ninja Tune, which just released his new single, “One Last Call” featuring Felix Raphael.
Swedish singer-songwriter Winona Oak signed to Nettwerk, which released her new single, “With Or Without You,” on Oct. 20. Oak is signed to The Very Good and PostOak LA for management, with booking by CAA in the United States and Wasserman in Europe.
Nettwerk also signed Toronto-based bedroom pop artist Peach Luffe (born Jong Lee). The classically-trained violinist released his latest single on the label, “Say It Back,” on Oct. 20. He’s managed by Michael MadConald at Lonely Beach and was previously signed to Lonely Beach Club; he’s slated to play next year’s South by Southwest.
Lastly at Nettwerk, the label signed Chicago-based singer-songwriter Wic Whitney. His first release under the label, “Ooolong,” marks the first single from his forthcoming EP, Afternoon Tea, which is slated to drop on Jan. 12. Whitney is managed by Colby Carlson.
Night Tales signed with Empire Dance and will drop a crossover single, “Work It Out” featuring Champion DI, on Friday (Oct. 27). The group is managed by the team at Prime Artists, including leaders Harrison Bamel, Adam Lynn and Zach Ruben, with booking by Hunter Williams and Jenna Adler at CAA. Night Tales was previously signed to Sony Music’s Ultra Records.
Easier Said, a recently-formed dance and rhythmic label founded by A&R exec Dominique Keegan, signed Party Pupils and will release the group’s new song, “Girlfriend” featuring MAX, bbno$ and MILLI. The label is an imprint of Firebird Music and has also released music by artists including Ian Asher, NALA, Roland Clark, Riva Starr and Maya Jane Coles.
Chicago-based indie band Brigitte Calls Me Baby signed to ATO Records, which will release its debut EP, This House Is Made of Corners, on Nov. 3. The group is managed by Phil Costello at Red Light; booking is handled by Jackie Nalpant and Kiely Mosiman at Wasserman in the United States and David Exley at Wasserman in the United Kingdom and European Union.
Global distribution and artist and label services company The Orchard recently expanded its operations in Africa and, as part of that move, signed a global distribution deal with Ghanian duo R2Bees.
Massachusetts-based rapper Millyz partnered with Create Music Group, which put out his new singles, “Passion” and “Soul Bleed” featuring DeeBaby. Millyz is managed by Ceize Gemini, Bryce Raines and Jeremy Karelis, with booking handled by Ashley Ventura at MAC Agency. His previous distributor was Perfect Time Music Group.
Singer-songwriter Fancy Hagood (“Blue Dream Baby” featuring Kacey Musgraves) signed with UTA for global representation in all areas.
New York-based singer-songwriter Odetta Hartman signed to Transgressive Records, which will release her second studio album, Swansongs, on March 22. The first single from the set, “Dr. No,” was released Oct. 17.
Australia-based singer-songwriter Kirin J Callinan signed with [PIAS] via his record label, Worse Records, for the release of his fourth album, If I Could Sing.
Indie rock band Brother Elsey signed to Nashville-based independent label River House Artists. The group’s inaugural releases on the label are the tracks “Passing Through” and “Babylon.” The group, which is currently on a U.S. tour through November, is managed by Jay Emmons and Jerrod Wilkins, with Grace Stern and Jay Williams at WME handling booking.
Singer-songwriter Dan Smalley signed with ONErpm Nashville, which will release a series of singles leading up to his next full-length album, The State of Country Music, next year.
South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim signed with Decca Classics. Last year, the 18-year-old became the youngest-ever winner of the Vin Cliburn International Piano Competition in Texas. He will soon make his debut at Carnegie Hall and is also slated to perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris alongside and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He’ll release his debut album with Decca in spring 2024. Lim is represented by Nicholas Mathias and Federico M. Benigni at IMG Artists and in Korea by Sam Lee at MOC Production.
Wishy, a new band formed by Indiana songwriters Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites, signed to Winspear, which will release the duo’s debut EP, Paradise, on Dec. 15. The single “Donut” is out now.
Belarusian violinist Yevgeny Kutick signed with Epstein Fox Performances for North American and general management.
Black River Records signed Scotty Hasting to its roster. Hasting’s label debut single, “How Do You Choose,” will release Nov. 3. – Jessica Nicholson
UBS partnered with Billboard to help increase awareness about the financial resources available to all entertainers. In the third of four episodes, Wale Ogunleye sat down with Billboard to share his experience managing personal finances throughout his NFL career and ultimately transitioning to his role at UBS today. Related Images:
Shares of K-pop companies sank this week following news that a member of K-pop ground EXO is leaving SM Entertainment for a different agency. According to reports, D.O. will leave SM Entertainment for a new agency being established by his longtime manager. D.O.’s contract expires in early November, SM Entertainment said in a statement, and the artist “will continue with his EXO activities with SM” but pursue acting and other activities through the new agency.
SM Entertainment shares fell 9% to 113,400 won ($83.93). Shares of YG Entertainment, home of girl group BLACKPINK, dropped 9.3% to 53,700 won ($39.74). Shares of JYP Entertainment, home of Stray Kids and Twice, plummeted 11.1% to 100,900 won ($74.67). HYBE, home to BTS and Tomorrow X Together, fell 8.2% to 224,500 won ($166.15). Shares of Kakao Corp. dropped 9.6% to 39,050 won ($28.90). Kakao and its subsidiary Kakao Entertainment own 40% of SM Entertainment’s common stock. Earlier this year, Kakao Entertainment formed a North American joint venture with SM Entertainment.
With all K-pop stocks moving in synch, investors appear to be concerned that the established agencies could be threatened by upstarts. Because Korean companies have far smaller rosters than publicly traded Western music companies such as Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Believe, any one departure can have an outsized impact. When BTS announced it planned to go on hiatus, HYBE’s share price dropped nearly 25% the following day.
Separately, the chief investment officer of Kakao, Bae Jae-hyun, was charged with manipulating SM Entertainment’s stock price in connection with Kakao’s bidding war against HYBE over SM Entertainment in the first quarter of the year. According to Bloomberg, the executive was arrested Thursday for buying 240 billion won ($178 million) worth of SM Entertainment shares in an effort to disrupt HYBE’s tender offer.
Despite the week’s heavy losses, K-pop stocks are among the best performing music stocks in 2023. Through Friday, HYBE, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment have gained an average of 37.1% year to date. JYP Entertainment leads the four companies with a year-to-date improvement of 48.8%.
The 21-stock Billboard Global Music Index fell 3.1% to 1,313.44, lowering its year-to-date gain to 12.5%. It was the biggest one-week drop for the index since July and just the seventh time this year the index dropped by more than 3% in a week. Losses were widespread and only four of the 21 stocks posted gains.
Stocks generally had a miserable week. In the United States, the Nasdaq composite index fell 3.2% and the S&P 500 declined 2.4%. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 dropped 2.6%. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index sank 3.3%. As the first wave of companies released third-quarter earnings this week, one of the standouts was Netflix. The streaming video giant gained 16.1% on Thursday after announcing it added 9 million subscribers in the quarter and will raise prices in the U.S., U.K. and France.
Anghami was the index’s greatest gainer for the second straight week after increasing 16.6% to $0.96. Last week, shares of the Abu Dhabi-based music streamer jumped 18% after the company received a written notification from the Nasdaq Stock Market on Oct. 12 regarding its closing share price falling below $1.00 for the previous 30 days. On Tuesday, Anghami issued a press release to reveal the Nasdaq Stock Market issued a written notification notifying the company it is not in compliance with the exchange’s requirement that listed companies maintain a minimum market value of $15 million. Anghami fell below the $15 million threshold from Aug. 29 to Oct. 10. Anghami has until April 8, 2024, to regain compliance.
Hipgnosis Songs Fund gained 4.9% to 0.775 GBP ($0.94) this week despite dropping 9.3% on Monday following news the company canceled a planned dividend payment. As the week progressed, the London Stock Exchange-listed company’s stock price steadily increased and was helped by the board of director’s announcement on Thursday of a strategic review to help calm investors’ nerves. After Monday’s decline, the share price rose 15.6% through Friday (Oct. 20) to reach its highest closing price since Oct. 3. At the company’s annual meeting on Oct. 26, shareholders will vote to approve a $440 million catalog sale intended to reduce the share price’s discount to Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s net asset value. Shareholders will also vote on a continuation resolution.
If it’s Friday that means another spin around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music industry.
WHY&HOW, the artist management company led by Bruce Kalmick, has promoted Halie Hampton Mosely to chief operating officer, Eddie Kloesel to executive vice president, and Chris Koegen to general manager and head of global strategy. Kloesel has been there from the jump, joining WHY&HOW’s founding team in 2020 as vp of touring and sponsorships. Prior to W&H, he was a manager at Triple 8. Hampton Mosely and Koegen both joined the agency in October 2021 — as vps of roster operations, and artist strategy and marketing, respectively. Hampton Mosely’s last job was at Hit Farm, where she served as day-to-day manager for Florida Georgia Line. Koegen’s previous posts include stints at Amazon Music and Big Machine. All three will continue to report to Kalmick, who calls them all “instrumental.”
“Not only have they helped shape our overall corporate strategy and ensured our artists’ success, but each of them are dedicated to fostering the professional development of our internal team to allow for continued success across all facets of our business,” said Kalmick. “I’m thrilled to have them step into these roles as we look towards the next phase of our company.”
Wait there’s more! The Austin-based company, which recently became part of the Red Light Management family, also elevated Evan Kaufman to senior vp of creative, a role that will see him continue to lead creative strategy across the roster — plus expand his role to include content ideation and creation.
The Orchard hired Lanre Masha to be its director of West Africa as the independent distributor angles to boost its presence on that side of the continent. In his new role, Masha will run regional support for Orchard artists and aid in signing new ones, as well as handle day-to-day release strategies and general distribution matters. Based in Lagos, he reports to evp and head of strategy Prashant Bahadur and works closely with vp of market development for Africa Ben Oldfield. Masha joins The Orchard from Trace Media, where in eight years he rose to GM for music and editorial. The Nigeria native also clocked time in Chicago in marketing and sales roles at Pepsico. “West Africa is no longer a young market,” Mash said. “We are leading the global expansion of music from the region, connecting artists with fans worldwide.”
All In the Family: Billboard parent Penske Media Corporation promoted George Grobar to president, overseeing the company’s operating units and business plans. The 14-year-veteran of PMC was previously chief operating officer and reports directly to founder and CEO Jay Penske. Prior to joining PMC, Grobar was senior vp of Disney Mobile, and before that put in 8 years at Unisys … and earlier this month PMC announced that former Complex and Paramount executive Celine Perrot-Johnson joined the company as executive vp of operations and finance. She oversees operations of PMC’s fashion, luxury, art and women’s interest brands, including the “bible of fashion” itself — Women’s Wear Daily. She reports to Grobar and is based in NYC.
Nashville-based management services company mtheory shared that industry veteran Erik Pettie is their svp and head of artist services and partnerships. Pettie and his team work with artists and their teams on providing label-like support from soup to nuts during a project cycle. His 15-year career was most recently highlighted by a two-year stint as head of artist strategy, editorial and marketing partnerships at Believe-owned Tunecore. Other career highlights include senior marketing roles at Cash Money, Republic, Motown and Universal Music Group. He is based in mtheory’s NYC office. “After years of dedication to supporting artists and labels, I’m eager to continue by shaping this division to help redefine campaign standards,” Pettie said. “This is an exciting new chapter, and I’m ready to make a positive impact!”
Mom+Pop promoted Whitney Dublin to senior director of digital marketing. During her tenure with the company, Dublin has led digital marketing campaigns for artists including FKJ, Del Water Gap, Orion Sun and Raffaella. Prior to joining Mom+Pop, Dublin worked as a product manager at the Orchard, as a digital marketing manager at RED, and a marketing coordinator/Hip-Hop/R&B social media strategist at Sony Legacy. Mom+Pop co-owner Thaddeus Rudd said Dublin’s “contributions to our artists’ success are noteworthy and her talent was obvious to us from the beginning.” –Jessica Nicholson
Donna Budica and George Karalexis officially launched Ten2 Media, a content distribution and marketing company focusing on music and monetization on YouTube. Ten2 Media works with clients on content strategies and then distributes, markets and monetizes that video content on YouTube. The company works with a growing roster of clients that includes Warner Music, Brent Faiyaz, French Montana, Diddy and NLE Choppa. “When we are able to maximize the artist’s revenue, we help create audience awareness and growth… because when artists succeed, so do we,” said Budica, a CAA veteran who is COO of the new firm. Karalexis, who is CEO, began his music career as a musician (his pre-YouTube band put out some spirited pop-punk in its day) before entering the management space and founding companies like FAUX Entertainment and WAVVE.
ICYMI: Utopia Music hired a new CEO after a rrrrough year … Round Table Management hired Steve Ford as head of artist development … Virgin Music Group shuffled its global leadership team … Rich Schaefer was named president of global touring at AEG Presents … and Millie Millgate is Music Australia’s first director.
BandLab Technologies, fresh off a “strategic collaboration” with UMG to engage responsibly with AI, added a trio of executives to its team. Joining BandLab as senior advisor of AI, innovation and strategy is Drew Silverstein, formerly the CEO of Ampler Music and vp of music at Shutterstock. Earlier this month, Kevin Breuner was hired at head of artist development and education, and Jessica Strassman as head of industry relations and artist services in the Americas. Breuner clocked 17 years at CD Baby, rising to svp of artist engagement and education, while Strassman joins from TikTok where she cofused on label partnerships.
Nashville-based music business management firm Farris, Self & Moore has promoted Stephanie Alderman to partner. Though the company will retain its current name of FSM, Alderman will be included in all leadership decisions and high-level initiatives. Alderman, a trained classical pianist and graduate of Belmont University, has more than 15 years of experience in business management, in addition to experience in artist management, publicity and tour production. “Stephanie Alderman is undeniably one of the best business managers in our business,” said founding partners Kella Farris, Stephanie Self, and Catherine Moore in a joint statement. “Her ability to relate and listen to her clients, create a financial strategy, and then execute it effortlessly is truly exceptional. Her all-in approach, innovation, and authenticity make her the perfect fit for our leadership team.” –JN
Digital marketing agency Creed Media hired Christian Birch-Jensen as its first-ever chief strategy officer. Birch-Jensen joins the Gen Z-centric company from TikTok, where he was part of the social media giant’s European strategy team. He reports to CEO Timothy Collins. Creed also promoted Alex Falck and Sanu Harharan from co-heads of music partnerships to co-heads of commercial partnerships — expanding their purview to cover tech, movies and TV. Additionally, Camilla Larsson was upped from head of entertainment operations to overall head of operations. Creed clients include the big three major labels, as well as Spotify and Live Nation.
Live events project management firm PRG hired Paige Newman as an account executive for its artist development team. While PRG is best known for large-scale projects, the firm is now increasingly offering their services — audio, lighting, rigging, video, etc. — to developing artists. Newman arrives after a three-year tenure at Image Engineering, a specialist in lasers and other live-events lighting.
Digital distributor ONErpm tapped Nathalia Vieira to manage its new synch department. Based in Los Angeles, Vieira and her team work on securing placements for ONErpm clients. Her previous roles include music licensing coordinator at Hit the Ground Running and as a creative music manager at Pusher. ONErpm’s other services include music distribution, marketing support, publishing, accounting and global payment systems.
Kevin Hart’s global entertainment company Hartbeat hired Janina Lundy as evp and head of marketing and brand strategy, and Adam Puchalsky as evp and global head of Pulse, the firm’s branded entertainment studio and marketing consultancy. Puchalsky will be based in New York City, while Lundy will operate from Los Angeles. “Janina’s exceptional talent for super-serving high-growth audiences and building entertainment brands, combined with Adam’s global storytelling expertise and deep commitment to brand partnerships will enrich our team and bring significant value to our team and partners,” said Hartbeat CEO Thai Randolph.
Last Week’s Turntable: H8WG Goes Wild in LA
Save The Music has announced the details of its star-studded 25th anniversary event.
Dubbed Music Saves L.A., the ceremony will take place Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles. This year’s honorees include Grammy-winning artist, producer and musical director Adam Blackstone; artist, activist and entrepreneur Becky G; Universal Music Group Nashville chair/CEO Cindy Mabe; and hip-hop icon and Rock the Bell CEO LL Cool J. All will be celebrated for their contributions to advancing equity in the music industry.
This year’s event will be hosted by actor, comedian, writer and producer Chris Spencer, with performances from Brad Paisley, Brittney Spencer, Mary Mary, The War and Treaty and more. It will additionally feature student performances from Save The Music grant recipient schools. Award presenters include Paisley and Jimmy Jam.
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All funds raised at this year’s event will go to supporting a multi-year, $3 million-plus music education rebuild in Los Angeles. Save The Music plans to fund an additional 50 schools with new music programs.
“Los Angeles is such a culturally and musically rich community, and we’re excited to bring together our students, teachers, community partners and music industry supporters to celebrate the impact that music has on our lives,” said Save The Music executive director Henry Donahue in a statement. “Adam, Cindy, LL and Becky G have helped us put together a musical experience that’s going to be incredibly fun and help significantly grow Save The Music’s impact in L.A.”
Over 25 years, Save The Music has donated more than $75 million in instruments and music technology equipment to more than 2,700 public schools nationwide. All of this has been done with the support of sponsors and donors including Paramount, Gibson Gives, Nickelodeon, Red Light Management and Universal Music Group.
For more information on the event, visit savethemusic.org. Individual tickets are available here.
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When the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) unveiled its new healthcare plans for working artists in August, the trade association, which represents indie labels, presented it as “a welcome ray of light for the music industry.” The monthly premiums range from $80 to $1,240 and feature benefits such as $15 co-pays for doctor visits and regular screenings for breast cancer, diabetes and depression. Affordable dental, vision and even pet insurance plans are also available.
But buried in the descriptions of several plans, which are accessible for those with a $100 annual A2IM membership, are restrictions and costs that could drain indie musicians’ finances. Three of the five plans offered, which cost $80 to $210 per month for individuals and $160 to $510 for families, do not cover emergency room care, hospital room fees, childbirth/delivery costs in hospitals or any type of care from a physician or surgeon. The two more expensive plans — $560 to $690 for individuals and $1,060 to $1,240 for families — don’t cover ambulance charges, radiation, chemotherapy, dialysis or transplants.
“What A2IM is doing is fantastic. I am applauding them hugely for this,” says Tatum Allsep, founder and CEO of Music Health Alliance, a Nashville group that advises artists on healthcare. “But read the fine print.”
A2IM bills the plans as “compliant” with the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare), but Allsep disagrees. “Nothing about this is aligned with the coverage on state exchanges. Not one bit,” she says. “Somebody’s going to think, for 80 bucks, they’re going to have health insurance because it says in black and white, ‘ACA-compliant.’ And that is absolutely false.”
Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, author of A Terrible Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back, adds, “It’s a terrible burden to place on patients to have to read the fine print in this way. I’ve spent my life thinking about these things, and I’m trained as a physician, and it gives me a headache to look at these policies.”
A2IM first offered health insurance to its 600 members, mostly indie labels, in September 2022, then expanded this past August to artists who are sole business proprietors.
A2IM president/CEO Richard James Burgess says the plans are “compliant” with the ACA and that “several dozen families” have enrolled in them so far.
“It was incredibly challenging to find affordable healthcare insurance for A2IM members outside of the state exchanges. For years, there appeared to be no viable options,” he says. “A2IM has never diminished the great work the state exchanges have done. We are not in competition with them. Rather, we wanted to offer more options to our members.”
According to a representative with the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ACA-compliant plans must have three key characteristics: They have to cover preventive services (like vaccines and screening tests), prohibit insurers from denying clients based on preexisting conditions and ban limits for total healthcare costs. “On the exchanges, those plans basically have consumer protection built into them,” says Liz McCuskey, a Boston University professor of health law policy. Consumers can buy “off-exchange” plans outside of the ACA, but she says they “are subject to much lighter rules.”
Michael Desnoyers, director of sales for Chicago insurance broker Independent Health Agents, says of A2IM’s plans, “If it’s the first time they’re being offered to musicians, they probably don’t have the option to get their proper group plan through Blue Cross/Blue Shield or United Healthcare.”
Desnoyers adds that the A2IM options might work for musicians who are younger, with no serious health risks or preexisting conditions, even if they “don’t come through with the benefits the major medical plans do.” Tim Hebert — a Fort Collins, Colo., health insurance broker who is also a managing partner for Sage Benefit Advisors and the state legislative chair for the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals — adds: “In certain situations, it can absolutely make sense. If [musicians] have moderate income but they just don’t have any assets, the A2IM plan works. It gives them basic coverage. You just don’t have to pay the higher premiums.”
Until 2010, self-employed musicians had few ways to obtain low-cost insurance, especially if they had preexisting conditions such as asthma or cancer. The ACA changed all that, and today, individual states are obligated to provide plans that cover catastrophic medical events and not to discriminate based on preexisting conditions. Still, several music industry organizations, including the Recording Academy, the American Federation of Musicians — and now A2IM — offer additional plans to members as cheaper alternatives.
For example, the academy provides plans for its more than 15,000 members through Stride Health that cost as little as $25 per month, with options to add dental, vision and life insurance coverage. The American Federation of Musicians (AFM), which represents 80,000 members of bands and orchestras, as part of Broadway productions and touring shows, provides group health insurance for freelance musicians. “The Affordable Care Act provided considerable relief to workers by requiring that health insurance be made available to them on a non-cancellable basis,” an AFM rep said in a statement, “but the ACA provided no meaningful relief for premium costs.” The plans offered through the academy and the AFM are similar to those on Obamacare state exchanges, according to Allsep.
Some major labels offer certain health-related benefits, if not actual insurance, to artists on their rosters. Sony and Universal Music Group (UMG) provide access to the Music Health Alliance, which offers expertise and suggestions on finding services elsewhere. Although reps for UMG and Warner Music Group did not respond to inquiries about health benefits, Sony artists can sign up for Artist Forward, which provides what the label calls “wellness solutions” like free counseling services.
Prior to its current offering, A2IM adopted a health plan from Zion Health Share, a Utah company that describes its membership as an “innovative and affordable medical cost-sharing community.” Its plan description stated, “This program is not insurance,” required participants to acknowledge that Zion “affiliates itself, and considers itself, accountable to a higher power” and limited care for people with preexisting conditions other than high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.
Several healthcare experts criticized the plan, including Allsep, Rosenthal and Valarie Blake, a West Virginia University law professor who specializes in healthcare policy. “I would not enroll unless I was a gambling man,” Blake says. When Billboard asked A2IM to comment on the Zion plan, Burgess said it was no longer available through A2IM. Representatives for Zion Health did not respond to email inquiries. “I am glad they changed course,” Blake says.
Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. says he’s sympathetic to the A2IM’s healthcare efforts: “We’re all trying to figure this stuff out together,” he says. “It doesn’t matter who provides coverage. It’s the fact that people are signing up for coverage. That’s the win.”
But after reviewing A2IM’s current plans, Allsep cautions: “Buyer beware.”
SYDNEY, Australia — Veteran Sounds Australia executive producer Millie Millgate will lead Music Australia as its founding director.
Following a months-long recruitment process, Millgate joins Music Australia, which is established to support and promote the Australian contemporary music industry, with a remit to increase discoverability and develop markets and audiences.
With Millgate at the helm, Music Australia will be expected to invest in and stimulate a vibrant and sustainable music industry ecosystem.
The Music Australia gig is a “once in a generation opportunity,” admits Millgate in a statement, “and I am truly honored, excited, and ready to embrace the challenges and lead the change required to shape and grow a flourishing and sustainable industry.”
Music Australia sits under Creative Australia – formerly the Australia Council for the Arts – and was established under the Creative Australia Act 2023, which was enshrined into law in June.
Through her tireless work leading Sounds Australia, and the countless airmiles clocked up in its mission to build bridges for Australian artists globally, Millgate “is a well-known and highly respected figure in the Australian contemporary music industry,” comments Adrian Collette, CEO of Creative Australia.
Together with the “exceptional skills and experience of the Music Australia Council,” he continues, “we will create a bright future for artists and the music industry in Australia.”
During her nearly-15 years with Sounds Australia, Millgate managed the presentation of over 2,200 Australian artists on global show stages since 2009, covering 86 different international events, in 75 cities, across 26 countries.
Prior to taking the reins at Sounds Australia, Millgate held executive posts with the Association of Artists Managers and as creative director for MusicNSW, and she has served on several boards and committees, and including a current position as director on the board of music industry charity Support Act.
Australia’s music industry warmly welcomed Millgate’s appointment.
Comments ARIA and PPCA CEO Annabelle Herd, “Her storied career and rich experience promoting Australian artists on the global stage through Sounds Australia are exactly what is needed to lead Music Australia toward a focused plan that helps deliver more Australian music to more people, wherever they may be.”
Australia is “already a top 10 music market globally, and we’re growing,” Herd explains. “Our industry can and should operate as an export economy in the same way markets like Sweden and South Korea have already proved possible. We will rally behind Millie in any way we can, and I urge everyone with a vested interest in Australian music to do the same. Her success will be the industry’s success.”
Adds Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS: “I’m so excited for Millie, and for the industry, that she’ll be heading up Music Australia. Millie has big ideas, a big heart, the respect of the industry, and the drive and determination to make big things happen. Millie’s appointment as the inaugural head of the agency is a testament to her dedication and vision over many years.”
Music Australia is an Australian Government initiative of the National Cultural Policy: Revive, launched in January of this year by the prime minister Anthony Albanese.
The Music Australia Council, effectively the Music Australia board, which includes legendary concert promoter Michael Chugg and Future Classics founder and CEO Nathan McLay, gathered Sept. 20 for its first meeting.
The Sounds Australia team salutes its outgoing leader. “It’s been an honor and privilege to work with her, and she’s inspired us every day with her passion, leadership and unwavering belief that Australian artists are truly some of the best in the world,” the industry organization comments. “The future of our industry is bright and we are so excited to see what she will do with Music Australia.”
LONDON — The new CEO of Swiss-based Utopia Music says he is focusing on making the company profitable within the next 12 months through “topline growth” and does not envisage making further cost savings through staff cuts or divestments.
Alain Couttolenc was announced as chief executive of Utopia Music on Thursday (Oct. 19), succeeding co-founder Mattias Hjelmstedt, who has been leading the company since February and now returns to his former role as executive chairman.
Speaking exclusively to Billboard, Couttolenc says he will utilize his 25 years’ experience of leading global data and media businesses to boost growth across all of Utopia’s revenue streams and move the company into profitability “in one year – maximum.”
“By getting the right data with the right AI [artificial intelligence] and the right positioning, I think we have the most unknown and unsold jewels in the industry,” he says. “Now the job is to take them out.”
Couttolenc joins Utopia from Ipsos, one of the world’s largest data companies, where he held the post of chief development officer. His executive career also includes senior leadership roles at data analytics company (and former Billboard owner) Nielsen Media, most notably SVP for Latin America and CEO of Europe Nielsen Media.
The Mexico-born, Swiss-based executive joins Utopia Music on the back of a highly turbulent 12 months that has seen the tech company undertake extensive cost-cutting measures, including several rounds of layoffs, multiple executive departures, office closures, legal action over a stalled acquisition deal and the offloading of three of its businesses — Absolute Label Services, U.S.-based music database platform ROSTR and U.K.-based publisher Sentric.
In under one year, the firm’s global workforce has been trimmed from approximately 1,200 staff to around 440.
Reflecting on Utopia’s well-publicized troubles, Couttolenc says the restructure that interim CEO Hjelmstedt began implementing in late 2022 was a “tough” but necessary response to the wider financial pressures felt by all tech companies over the past several years.
“The good news is that we’re still here,” says Couttolenc, who spent several months working at Utopia’s headquarters in the Swiss town of Zug on a consultancy basis, prior to being officially appointed CEO.
As a result of the restructuring, the chief exec says that Utopia is now well positioned at “the right size with the right products,” while his main goal is achieving profitability through “topline growth, not [reducing] cost out.”
“Cost out is about people and that is absolutely not my intention,” says Couttolenc, referring to the multiple rounds of job cuts and divestments Utopia undertook between late 2022 and summer 2023. “I think that’s in the past. It’s not my intention to continue that,” he says. “That’s a [closed] chapter.”
Instead, Couttolenc says he will focus on developing Utopia’s existing tech solutions for all layers of the music business, adding value for its artist, label, publisher, distributor, collecting society and streaming platform clients.
At present, those tech solutions encompass six main product services, spanning cross-platform analytics, an AI-powered recommendation engine targeted at DSPs and streaming services, lyric and language analysis tools to aid discoverability and Utopia’s royalty processing and payments system TrackNClaim, which tracks music consumption on digital platforms and helps identify conflicts and unclaimed mechanical royalties.
According to Utopia, TrackNClaim’s analysis of music consumption on YouTube in North America helped collect over $4 million in royalties for rights holders in 2022. The company aims to expand its TrackNClaim product to other streaming platforms and international markets.
Utopia’s other core businesses include its two main physical music distribution entities: Proper Music Group, which provides distribution services for over 5,800 indie labels and service companies, and Utopia Distribution Services (formerly Cinram Novum), whose clients include Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and [PIAS].
While the sale of CDs and vinyl may appear to sit uncomfortably with Utopia’s AI and tech-driven business model, Couttolenc says the opposite is true and both businesses deliver a wealth of vital sales data that Utopia then uses to drive revenue elsewhere, as well as providing opportunities for the company to upsell its services to artist and label clients. Together, Proper Music Group and Utopia Distribution Services account for 98% of the physical music market in the United Kingdom, says Utopia.
“For me, [physical] distribution is not a legacy business. On the contrary, it fuels the other solutions and vice versa. It’s a good hybrid to have,” says the chief exec, who was himself a music DJ in the 1980s.
In a statement announcing Couttolenc’s appointment as CEO, Utopia co-founder Mattias Hjelmstedt said the exec’s successful track record as a global business leader coupled with his “deep understanding of data and its implementation” makes him the ideal person to steer Utopia’s ongoing transition from a hyper-growth company to a profitable one.
“It’s our products that will ultimately talk for us,” says Couttolenc. “I’m pretty much obsessed with understanding and tracking why people listen to music. The why for me is very important because that’s where you understand the real trends of listeners.”
Exceleration Music signed a strategic partnership with the founders of American independent label Rounder Records — Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin, as well as Rounder’s first and longtime president/CEO, John Virant — on their new venture, Down The Road. The new label will be focused on “the historic depth and breadth of Americana,” according to a press release, including releases from banjo player Tony Trischka, bluegrass group Blue Highway and Irish traditional music performers Dervish. It will also reissue 14 catalog titles produced by the Rounder Records co-founders in recent years. Down The Road releases will be distributed by Redeye, which Exceleration acquired in September.
Audoo — a music technology company that provides data allowing artists, songwriters, PROs and CMOs to see in real-time where their music is played, enabling them to better collect on public performance royalties — raised $5 million in its last funding round from investors including Elton John and David Furnish, bringing its total raised to $22 million. “Working as a musician can be seen as all glitz and glamour but for the vast majority of artists, especially new and emerging acts, this isn’t the case,” said John in a statement. “It’s often brutally unfair and this sadly extends into being paid correctly. Right now, artists are not being paid accurately for their plays because the data simply doesn’t exist … That’s why we’ve invested in Audoo and their world-class technology and data, to help create a more transparent system for everyone, and ultimately to keep the music alive.”
Patreon acquired livestream ticketed event platform Moment (formerly Moment House). In the coming months, “foundational elements” of Moment will be integrated into Patreon, according to a blog post. Since its founding in 2019, Moment has partnered with artists including Justin Bieber, Tame Impala and Kygo.
Warner Music Group (WMG) acquired Indian artist management and live events company E-Positive, strengthening WMG’s position in the region. On its roster, E-Positive boasts Darshan Raval, one of the most-streamed artists in India. E-Positive will continue acting as a standalone company, led by founder/CEO Naushad Khan. “Darshan, as well as the whole of the E-Positive roster, will be able to harness Warner Music’s global network and start to connect with a wider international audience,” said WMG president of emerging markets Alfonso Perez Soto in a statement. “This deal helps us to level-up and enhance our 360 offering to artists by bringing in the knowledge and expertise of Naushad to Warner Music. Our improved suite of services we will enable our artists to transcend the whole of India and help bring Indian culture to the rest of the world.”
In more WMG acquisition news, the company bought the recorded music business of Jukka Immonen‘s The Fried Music. Based in Finland, The Fried Music artists — including Anna Puu, Knipi and Viivi — will be integrated into the Warner Music roster and enjoy access to its global network. Starting on Jan. 1, 2024, Immonen will also begin serving as head of A&R at Warner Music Finland.
Mediabase has acquired the All Access music distribution business unit from Joel Denver. “Through this integration, Mediabase offers a seamless user experience by providing downloads of broadcast-quality content from our label partners,” said Mediabase president/CEO Philippe Generall in a statement. “The power of these collective platforms promises to redefine how industry professionals access and leverage media assets.”
Hook, a platform that allows users to remix and remake songs using AI, closed a $3 million seed investment round led by Steve Cohen‘s Point72 Ventures and Waverley Capital, co-founded by former Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman, Jr. Other participants included Mark Gillespie‘s Three Six Zero and Japanese entertainment brand Avex. The investment will be used to continue developing Hook’s platform; Hook will also collaborate with artists and record labels to develop technology to unlock new revenue streams. Founded by CEO Gaurav Sharma, Hook is planning to launch a closed beta later this year.
ASM Global extended its 10-year partnership with Onondago County, N.Y., to manage The Oncenter and St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse. Under the new deal, ASM Global will continue managing The Oncenter convention and entertainment facility — which includes the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center, the Upstate Medical Arena and three theaters in the John H. Mulroy Civic Center — as well as the St. Joseph’s Amphitheater, a 17,500-capacity outdoor concert venue.
Elsewhere at ASM Global, the company signed a long-term renewal contract to continue managing three venues in Puerto Rico: the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot arena, the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Convention Center.
The Circuit Group, a new company with a stated mission to create business opportunities around artists’ intellectual property, formed a joint venture with management and production company Pivot Music (led by Paolo Mojo) and DJ-producer Rebūke. Under the partnership, Pivot and its premier act, Rebūke, along with his ERA Music label, will move under the Circuit Group umbrella. According to a press release, The Circuit Group acquires up to 50% of artists’ song catalogs, offering those artists an immediate source of revenue while also aligning their interests with Circuit Group’s vision of creating additional avenues for intellectual property. The company also invests in and strikes strategic alliances with other entities across recorded music, publishing, merchandise, brand partnerships, gaming, events, Web3 and more.
Artist-producer-multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin partnered with Lowly and Create Music Group to launch a joint-venture record label named O’Connor. The label launched on Friday (Oct. 13) with “311!”, the first single off sneek, a collaborative album between Martin and singer-songwriter Gallant. O’Connor’s executive board includes Martin, Deon Ford (Lowly’s A&R director) and Samantha Whitehead (creative director, art historian and Martin’s day-to-day manager). Under the deal, Martin will also produce for select Lowly/Create artists while assisting in A&R and artist development with Ford.
Linkfire renewed an agreement with Warner Music Group to provide its Saas marketing platform to the company globally. The agreement extends through April 30, 2024.
BMG acquired global rights to all three studio albums from Australian artist Angus Stone‘s Dope Lemon project, including 2016’s Honey Bones, 2019’s Smooth Big Cat and 2022’s Rose Pink Cadillac, as well as his 2017 EP, Hounds Tooth. BMG released Dope Lemon’s fourth studio album, Kimosabè, on Sept. 29 under a new recordings deal.
Sphere Entertainment announced that amplification technology company Powersoft contributed immersive haptic technology and amplifier solutions to Las Vegas’ Sphere venue. Powersoft technology is integrated within the venue’s 10,000 haptic seats as part of Sphere Immersive Sound powered by HOLOPLOT.
Backline, a nonprofit that provides mental health resources to music industry workers and their families, announced a new partnership with Eventric/Master Tour, software that assists with tour logistics. Under the agreement, the Master Tour mobile app will now include an in-app button that directs users to mental health resources, including the Crisis Text Line, the National Suicide Hotline and Backline’s suite of resources. Master Tour boasts a user base of over 250,000, with 55,000 active monthly users.
AI sound wellness company Endel partnered with dance music label Spinnin’ Records to create 50 AI-generated soundscape album playlists tailored for focus, relaxation, sleep, physical activity and more. The first two soundscape albums are out now, with new albums set to release every week over the next two months. All of the albums will fall under a new profile called Spinnin’ COSMOS. Artists involved in the project to date include Brazilian DJs Felguk and Italian production and DJ duo VINAI. “With this collaboration with Spinnin’, we’ve transformed hundreds of tracks from their incredible catalog into life-enhancing albums and playlists at a huge scale while retaining the iconic sound of Spinnin’ Records and its artists,” said Endel co-founder/CEO Oleg Stavitsky in a statement.
Decca Records US and the World Federation for Mental Health announced a partnership for World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10. Under the agreement, Decca US released a World Mental Health Day-themed playlist of calming music featuring artists including Chad Lawson, Cody Fry, Kings Elliot, Balmorhea, Daigo Hanada, Lara Somogyi, Sophie Hutchings and Samuel Mariño. Additionally, Decca US artist Lawson, who hosts a podcast on mental health, partnered with AI-powered sound wellness company Endel to release a meditation soundscape album featuring reimagined tracks from his album breathe.