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For the first time ever, Mexico has entered the top 10 global music markets, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has confirmed to Billboard Español. The milestone was driven by a 15.6% increase in recorded music revenue, as revealed in the IFPI’s 2025 Global Music Report published Wednesday (March 19). Mexico’s climb to No. […]
Late last summer, the composer and producer Itay Kashti received an email invitation to a songwriting camp that Polydor Records was running in rural Wales. Kashti, a 44-year-old London-based Israeli who mostly produces recordings for singer-songwriters and makes soundtrack music, has participated in a few such events over the years, and this one sounded worthwhile. “I scheduled a call with them,” he remembers, sitting in his basement studio in Kilburn, London, facing a computer screen and a recording console. But what at first seemed like a promising opportunity soon turned almost deadly.
The call Kashti scheduled wasn’t much to remember. The guy on the other end of the phone had a strong British accent, Kashti recalls, and he told him that his music had come to Polydor’s attention when a executive liked one of his tracks in an Amazon Prime movie. He agreed to go to Wales for about a week, starting Aug. 26. On a second call, days later, the same man told him that instruments and studio equipment would be provided, asked him if he had any dietary issues, and set up a car service to take him to a cottage in Carmarthenshire, a rural area of Wales north of Swansea.
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At 10 a.m. on Aug. 26, Kashti, who has lived in London for almost two decades, walked out of his apartment building and found his car — a white Mercedes driven by a man with short hair and a long beard. “After a couple of miles, he started asking me where I’m from and I was a bit taken aback,” Kashti remembers. They had more than four hours of driving ahead, and Kashti worried that, with antisemitism in the UK flaring during the Israel-Gaza conflict, talking about his heritage could make for an awkward ride. But the driver, who said he was a Muslim, told Kashti that he assumed he was from Israel based on his name and “he reassured me that if it bothered him, he wouldn’t have picked me up,” Kashti remembers. Born in the UK, with roots in Pakistan, the driver was curious about Israel, Kashti says, “and we had a really interesting conversation.”
It took some time to find the right location in Wales, a cottage in a remote field of small houses. Kashti remembers thinking that was odd — wouldn’t the organizers want the creators to stay together? — but he just assumed they would work together in another building. Kashti asked the driver to help him with his luggage, while he made sure they were in the right place. There wasn’t much around. The two of them walked into the cottage — Kashti first, the driver behind him — and “there was an alarming sense that something here is strange.”
Suddenly, three men with masks jumped him and he hit the floor. One punched the driver, who ran out as the men pummeled Kashti. He realized he had walked into a trap. “I saw it in slow-motion and I thought, ‘This is the last scene in the movie,’” he says. “After everything I’ve done — moving to the UK, getting into the music business, getting married — what a sorry ending.”
Kashti tried to run, but the three men threatened to kill him, then handcuffed his wrists together around a radiator pipe and ran out of the cottage themselves. Kashti realized that they hadn’t expected the driver. Then he figured out he could free himself, since the other end of the radiator pipe wasn’t connected to the wall. With his wrists still cuffed together, he grabbed his phone in one hand — the men had left it on a table after emptying his pockets — and the case that held his acoustic guitar in the other.
Wait: The guitar?
‘It’s a Martin!” Kashti says, his voice rising with enthusiasm. “It’s not very common, this model — they only made it from ’97 to ’99!” He opens a closet to show me the case, still smeared with some of his blood. The assault, which turned out to be part of an attempted kidnapping, only became public months later, after a March 14 sentencing hearing, so Kashti has had a few months to recover, reflect and regain at least some of his sense of humor.
At the time, with phone and guitar case in hand, he ran outside and tried to flag down the first car he saw, but “I looked like Sylvester Stallone at the end of Rocky,” he remembers, with one eye swollen shut, the other partly closed, and blood all over his face. The driver didn’t stop. So Kashti ran behind a bush to hide and call his wife, who alerted police. Hers was one of three calls to authorities, including his driver and the driver of the car that didn’t stop.
The police took Kashti to the hospital — he was badly bruised but suffered no broken bones or lasting damage. By nightfall, after a helicopter search, police arrested the three men, who had planned to hold Kashti for ransom: Mohammad Comrie, 23, from Leeds; Faiz Shah, 23, from Bradford; and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime, 20, from Wallington, London.
Kashti doesn’t know why they targeted him individually, but a police investigation determined that the three men chose him because he was Jewish.
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Under UK law, media coverage of a criminal case can offer the defendants grounds for appeal, so Kashti couldn’t talk about his experience while the investigation in Wales moved forward. “The first month, I was in shock,” he says. He couldn’t talk about his experience much, and no one could really understand what he went through. He worried that the three men might have been working with an accomplice. A trial was set for Feb. 17, with Kashti and his driver scheduled to testify on the second day. But Comrie, Shah and Ogunnubi-Sime pled guilty, and a sentencing hearing took place on March 14.
Over the course of the investigation, police discovered that Comrie, Shah and Ogunnubi-Sime had made an elaborate plan to kidnap Kashti and hold him for ransom. They bought handcuffs, a gag, a blindfold and masks, plus enough food and water to last for days. (They also tried to buy ketamine to use as a sedative, according to the prosecutor, without success.) They made some of these purchases with a stolen credit card, rented the cottage in Wales under a fake name and discussed how to launder the ransom money they hoped to get using cryptocurrency.
After all this effort, the three men failed to plan for the possibility that Kashti would enter the cottage with his driver — or even find a secure way to handcuff him. At the sentencing hearing, which resulted in eight-year terms for the three men — Comrie and Shah will go to prison, while Ogunnubi-Sime was sent to an institution for young offenders — Comrie’s lawyer said the plot had been “highly amateurish in its execution.”
The three men wanted to make money on a ransom. But Kashti had been targeted because of the kidnapers’ “understanding of his wealth and Jewish heritage,” according to Judge Catherine Richards’ statement at the sentencing. They “seemed to justify action against the victim in this case based on his background.” In a message in a group chat they shared, one of the men speculated that Kashti’s “fortune came from West Bank settlements taking Palestinian land.” Ogunnubi-Sime wrote that “all three of us have complete 100 percent faith in Allah, so we can’t fail.”
Any attempted kidnapping would be frightening, but it’s alarming to think that a Jewish person was targeted for this crime in the UK in 2025. Some of the messages shared by Comrie, Shah and Ogunnubi-Sime show a chilling disdain for Jews, and it’s scary, and a bit absurd, how wrong their stereotypes were. As a working producer, Kashti says he makes a middle-class living in the music business, but if he’s wealthy, he hides it well. “I had to sell the Bentley to afford this amazing look,” he jokes, glancing down at a black shirt, gray trousers and Nikes. His recent involvement in Israeli advocacy amounts to playing guitar at a memorial vigil for the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, and he grew up in a suburb of Tel Aviv and never spent much time in the West Bank.
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Kashti’s harrowing experience is an especially extreme example of how vulnerable working creators and musicians can be. Almost all of them work for themselves, and collaborating often involves traveling to an unfamiliar place to work with people one doesn’t know — sometimes for days on end. Only the most successful have a management staff or assistant to screen opportunities and potential collaborators. They are on their own.
Before this happened to Kashti, of course, it was hard to imagine that anyone would set up a fake songwriting camp solely to lure someone to a remote location — let alone target someone based on his ethnicity. “This didn’t spark any suspicions,” Kashti says. Why would it? These days invitations come from consultants as well as companies, and phone calls like the ones Kashti was on are often made by external organizers or assistants.
The truth is, Kashti was lucky. “One of the most chilling things is, my life was saved by such random things,” Kashti says. Most important was the intervention of his driver, who helped with his bags, walked into the cottage with them and happened to be fairly big and pretty quick. But that wasn’t just luck, and Kashti takes another lesson from his ordeal. If he hadn’t talked to his driver, he might not have asked him for help with his bags, and the driver might not have agreed. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s the most positive part of the story,” he says. “I connected with him on a human basis and that is what saved me.”
Musicians have often expressed a desire to make a difference in the world, through both their art and their actions. Now, the world’s biggest music company has assembled a powerful squad of corporate ninjas to help its artists get the job done.
In June 2024, Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge announced the creation of the UMG Global Impact Team to “enact and amplify the company’s vision for positive change through community engagement, environmental sustainability, events and special projects,” the company stated.
Music industry veteran Susan Mazo — who has been with UMG since 2014, is chief impact officer/executive vp and serves as the founding chair of UMG’s All Together Now Foundation and is a co-creator of the Amplifier Award, which recognizes artists committed to positive change — assembled the new team of specialized change agents.
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The members of the Global Impact Team, who happen to be all women, include Mazo; UMG senior vp/head of sustainability Dylan Siegler; Kristin Jones and Arielle Vavasseur, co-founders of Inside Projects, a strategy and marketing agency that specializes in social impact; UMG senior vp/executive director of the Task Force for Meaningful Change Menna Demessie; UMG vp of global impact Markie Ruzzo; and UMG senior director of global impact and communications Sharlotte Ritchie.
“The strategy came from the highest levels of the company,” Mazo says, “working closely with Lucian Grainge and Will Tanous,” UMG’s executive vp/chief administrative officer and a member of the company’s executive management board. Mazo says they sought to form a team who “could help create change and awareness through the power of their networks.”
That team’s work led to the announcement last September of UMG’s 2024 Use Your Voice campaign, which built upon a similar initiative four years earlier and sought to increase voter awareness and participation in the November general election. UMG partnered with leading voter resource organizations including HeadCount, the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women, When We All Vote and the Voto Latino Foundation.
Mazo notes that HeadCount has reported that Sabrina Carpenter got more voters engaged in last year’s election than any other artist the organization works with. HeadCount says Carpenter inspired 35,814 voter registrations and got another 263,087 voters to take other actions outside of registration, such as checking their polling location. The team also launched UMG sound practices for events, a guide for integrating sustainability into UMG initiatives.
In January, as wildfires devastated Los Angeles, the Global Impact Team supported UMG’s overall response. UMG partnered with groups and organizations including Support + Feed, Dodgers Foundation, World Central Kitchen and Bruce’s Catering to serve first responders and families in need. UMG merchandising company Bravado donated clothing to affected UMG employees and the fire departments in Pasadena and Santa Monica. The company canceled all of its Grammy weekend activities, donating and repurposing all resources including hotel rooms, catering, trucking and vendor resources to relief efforts. In addition, UMG’s All Together Now U.S. employee matching program had record donations following the announcement of a 150% super match for fire relief organizations. UMG’s efforts regarding wildfire relief are ongoing.
Most recently, the Global Impact Team helped UMG expand its four-year partnership with the nonprofit Music Health Alliance to launch the Music Industry Mental Health Fund. The initiative, announced in February, will provide comprehensive, high-quality outpatient mental health resources for qualified members and workers of the music industry. Mazo calls the expanded partnership “the most natural way to ensure continuous and effective mental health support for anyone working in our industry.”
Are the issues that the Global Impact Team addresses “of particular concern to the current generation of UMG artists? Absolutely,” Mazo says. “And we’re really taking the lead from what our artists are interested in and what our artists are talking to us about.”
This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Live Nation, BMI, ASCAP, Nettwerk Music Group, Soundstripe and the Recording Academy rank among the best places in the music business for women to work, according to a first-of-its-kind survey.
The 40-year-old nonprofit organization Women in Music, in partnership with company reviews platform InHerSight, has unveiled its first edition of WIM Best Places To Work, recognizing top companies in several areas, based on industrywide initial survey data. Women in Music, established in 1985, describes its mission as serving “to advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment and recognition.”
“The music industry has long been a cultural force for change, and now more than ever, we have to take the lead in prioritizing diversity in leadership as much as the diversity of the music we represent,” Women in Music president Nicole Barsalona says.
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“Research shows that gender-diverse leadership drives revenue, innovation and talent retention — it’s not just good practice, it’s critical to our success as an industry,” Barsalona says. “Future surveys will include increased diversity metrics to add even more depth to the data, but this is an exciting start.”
The WIM Best Places To Work initiative honors music companies that demonstrate excellence in fostering inclusive workplace culture and ensuring satisfaction across metrics that matter to women, such as salary, leadership opportunities, remote work options and parental leave.
Women in Music notes that the survey is ongoing and accessible through its website to ensure that it’s continually updated to reflect the latest industry standards in workplace excellence.
“Our philosophy has always been that data is central to building better workplaces,” InHerSight co-founder and CEO Ursula Mead says. “So when organizations like Women in Music come to us recognizing the power of data, we’re thrilled to realize their initiative.”
The survey cites research from consulting firm McKinsey that states that companies with strong female representation at the top outperform competitors by nearly 50% in profitability and share performance.
In addition to those previously named, smaller companies and organizations (of two to 51 employees) that ranked high on the survey include the Music Business Association, The Syndicate, Blackstar Agency, the American Association of Independent Music and the Mechanical Licensing Collective.
“I’m thrilled to know that the Music Business Association scored so well in the WIM Best Places To Work survey,” MBA president Portia Sabin says. “Diversity is very important for us in all aspects of what we do, and we’ve worked to diversify our board, our events and our staff. One thing we strive for is to have diversity at all levels of the company, providing a mentorship aspect for younger people who may join us. It’s very true that our diversity makes us stronger as a team and makes this a great place to work.”
The survey collected data on 17 research-backed metrics. The results singled out the top companies in categories including equal opportunities for women and men, women in leadership, salary satisfaction, flexibility, remote work opportunities, maternity and adoptive leave, employee responsiveness and a sense of belonging.
Live Nation, for example, stood out for its maternity and adoptive leave policies, ability to telecommute, remote work opportunities, flexible work hours and equal opportunities for men and women.
The WIM Best Places To Work initiative has been launched at a challenging time for corporate America, says Monika Tashman, a partner at prominent music industry law firm Loeb & Loeb and an advisory board member at Women in Music.
“With diversity, equity and inclusion programs terminated at the federal level and a vow to police the private sector’s DEI initiatives,” she says, “it is vital that we publicize, promote and encourage private sector companies that are committed to constructing a workplace culture and benefits package that is unbiased and crafted to allow all employees to thrive.”
Women in Music is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, unaffiliated with Billboard, founded in 1985 to educate, empower and advance women in the music industry. WIM hosts year-round educational and career development programming in chapter markets around the world, with equity-focused initiatives that include WIM Safe(r) Spaces, the WIM Workplace Initiative, the WIM Mentorship Program and the WIM Executive Internship Program. To become a charitable partner or to make a donation, go to womeninmusic.org.
This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.
As the concert business soars to new heights, five of its most powerful women have been on a tear. As leading agents across five top booking agencies, Jenna Adler, Lucy Dickins, Samantha Kirby Yoh, Cara Lewis and Marsha Vlasic serve as tour architects and chief dealmakers to the stars, shaping the live-music landscape while helping their artist clients build their brands and broaden their businesses beyond music to sustain their careers.
With her client Adele, Dickins helped create a 75,000-capacity Munich venue purpose-built for the superstar’s 10 August 2024 shows (and aptly named Adele Arena). “I don’t think anyone else has ever done that,” Dickins jokes over Zoom. Lewis famously got a shoutout in 1987’s “Paid in Full,” on which Eric B. and Rakim explain, “Cara Lewis is our agent … and together we get paid in full.” The hip-hop touring powerhouse’s wins go back decades — and include moments like Eminem’s first-ever show outside Detroit in 1999.
When we speak, Adler has just returned home from a trip to Dubai with her client Jennifer Lopez and expounds on the new heights that Deftones — “the first band I ever signed” — are currently achieving. Vlasic casually mentions that “Neil” — as in longtime client Neil Young — recently called to discuss his upcoming coastal tour. And Kirby Yoh is keen to chat about LCD Soundsystem’s recent Los Angeles and New York residencies, which encompassed 20 shows and which she booked for the band that she has helped guide through arenas, festival headlining slots and beyond over the years.
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Their rosters are deep, their wins are many, and their reputations as leaders not just in the “female agent space” but the world of agents, period, are renowned. While each works for a different company — Kirby Yoh is a UTA partner and its co-head of global music, Dickins is WME’s global head of contemporary music and touring, Adler is a music touring agent at CAA, Lewis is founder and CEO of Cara Lewis Group, and Vlasic is the co-chair of Independent Artist Group’s music division — there’s a clear kinship among them, with the five women throwing out adjectives like “legendary,” “chic,” “magnificent” and “respected” when referring to one another.
“I hate losing,” Adler says. “But at the same time, I’d rather lose to one of them than to any of my male counterparts.”
Here, the five discuss their long careers, juggling their professions with motherhood and how agencies are changing for artists and female executives alike.
Jenna Adler, whose clients include Jennifer Lopez, Doja Cat, Charli xcx, Shaboozey and Deftones.
Myles Hendrik
In terms of working with well-established touring acts, how do you guide an artist through a long career? How do you manage demand as an artist evolves?
Samantha Kirby Yoh: The No. 1 thing is partnering with an artist. You’ve really got to listen to what their vision is, what their priorities and concerns are. Those change over the years. Cyndi Lauper had a lifelong dream of playing an arena tour. She’d never done arenas and also wanted to do a spectacular presentation in regard to her life’s work. It’s not guiding so much as listening and then putting it together and being in true partnership with the manager and artist.
Jenna Adler: You can’t just be a transactional agent. It’s never going to last that way. You have to be really passionate because at the end of the day, we’re selling.
Cara Lewis: Once an artist’s fan base has solidified, doors open. It is about coming up with different opportunities that align with that artist to further enhance the brand and continue adding to their longevity. That can be as simple as playing larger venues, adding a sponsor or doing a brand partnership that increases awareness and grows the fan base … The ultimate goal is longevity and the ability to reinvent and hold fans’ attention throughout the evolution of a career.
Marsha Vlasic: To be honest with you, it’s not mathematics and it’s not chemistry. It’s pretty much instinct. I’m very confident in telling [artists] what I think they should do. I’m not afraid of them. A lot of people tiptoe around artists. Even certain managers are afraid to talk to their own artists. But once you go through a certain number of years and earn a certain amount of respect, then artists reach out to you and trust you.
Lucy Dickins: It’s about building a strong, authentic relationship. I need to understand an artist’s vision and figure out how to tell that story. From when we’re starting to work together to when they become huge clients, authenticity is, for me, the most important thing because I think people can see through [anything inauthentic].
Lucy Dickins, whose clients include Adele, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, James Blake and Lola Young.
Courtesy of WME
What’s your philosophy on artist development?
Dickins: You’ve got to build a solid foundation that allows them to grow, experiment and evolve, while they’re also grounded and true to what they are. It’s not one size fits all. My thing is always just focusing on empowering them with the tools, knowledge and support they need to make informed decisions and trust their instincts. I’m a gut person, so for me, it’s like, “Go with what you want and just be authentic.”
Vlasic: I worry about taking that leap of faith too quick, too big, and then you’re f–ked. Artist development to me is turning people away, selling out, having a great show … Again, a lot of it is instinct.
Lewis: Throughout my career, I have always been at the forefront of artist development, championing female artists. In the early stages of an artist’s career, you have to know how to capture the urgency, which is all about strategically planning based on artist analytics, packaging and, of course, ticket pricing.
Kirby Yoh: My philosophy is to listen and tell the story of who they are. If there is a deep love in regard to beats, it’s about where we can get them DJ’ing in the warehouse and doing a remix. Every step and play have to be intentional and authentically build on the lore of who they are. And don’t miss steps. You have to do the steps to build your community with you so they feel they’re on the journey with you all the way.
Are festivals still effective in breaking new artists?
Adler: For me, it’s about the long game and not taking festival money so fast, not even looking at festivals until we have a bit of control over where we want to play. I always say we should never play a festival before four o’clock because before four, you’re playing for the vanity of it. Instead, let’s go out and do the hard work and create our own fan base so we can point to a scoreboard and say, “I sold this and that out. This isn’t a favor.” I don’t care about doing all these festivals. There are always exceptions, but my go-to is not worrying about being on a poster in a [small font size] just to say we’re there. Let’s go and sell out a 300-seat club.
Vlasic: I don’t know what else we have to break a new artist. Having an artist’s name on a festival poster is very important. All promoters look at who’s on there, and at least the emerging artists can play to a bigger audience than they would if they went on the club scene and did 300 a night.
Kirby Yoh: I love festivals. It depends on what festival it is. The smaller festivals, like the 20,000-capacity, are doing great. If you look at [San Francisco dance festival] Portola and [festival creator] Danny [Bell’s] exceptional skill set as a curator, it doesn’t even break artists but brings people who only heard of X, Y or Z DJ and then they suddenly hear the artists that inspired that DJ. It takes them on a kind of learning [journey]. [Portola] has done that exceptionally.
Dickins: I think it’s arguable to say if a festival breaks an artist, whereas before it used to be really important. Now a lot of artists on the way up ask if it’s more important to do their own show and build their own brand. If you’re in the opening slot on a stage or up against a load of clashes, what are you really getting out of that? I don’t know. As opposed to doing your own show with your core fan base or attracting people coming to see you build your brand.
But if you’re a bigger artist, they’re still huge milestones because they bring massive exposure and the chance to reach global audiences. And there are smaller festivals, or genre-specific festivals, that are becoming more prominent. Doechii played Camp Flog Gnaw last year; that was a huge moment. The big ones are good for the bigger ones, and the more bespoke, genre-specific ones are becoming more prominent for the smaller artists.
Samantha Kirby Yoh, whose clients include LCD Soundsystem, Björk, Rosalía, FKA twigs and St. Vincent.
Courtesy of UTA
How are you seeing artists handle ticket pricing? In regard to the all-in approach where customers only see the final cost, is it important for fans to know the face value that artists are charging before ticketing fees?
Vlasic: None of my artists want fans to be pissed off because they think they’re charging too much. The thing is, somebody’s going to be miserable about something all the time. That’s my feeling on ticket pricing. With older artists, where it may be their last tours, they don’t want to go out just for the fun of being on the road. The road is no longer something [those artists] are dying to do, but this is their means of income. They don’t want to piss people off, but they want to maximize it.
Lewis: It all depends on artist, market, viability and urgency. Keep prices low, within reason and without compromising [an artist’s] ability to tour and offer an innovative production. Be cognizant of ticketing fees. Know what the competitive acts are charging and make an analysis of the sales and how the scaling is related to the result. Understand that each market has different needs due to the economy and different urgency.
Dickins: International markets tend to be much more cautious [than in the United States]. But ticket fees are a huge thing. At the International Live Music Conference in London, everyone was telling me that there are major concerns around ticket fees and the lack of transparency because fans feel misled when those additional fees are tacked on at checkout.
Kirby Yoh: I think most artists want the experience to be as easy as possible. When you go to buy a ticket for your favorite artist’s show and you’ve got $100 in your pocket, you want the total checkout cost to be $100.
Adler: I am so sensitive to ticket pricing because I look around like, “How can all these people afford all these shows?” Yet every show is selling out, even though the average ticket price is north of $100. I always try to go on the lower side, almost to a fault. I get a lot of pushback because they say I’m leaving money for scalpers to come in. I don’t want that. It’s such a delicate balance.
Cara Lewis, whose clients include Eminem, Travis Scott, Erykah Badu, Khalid and Don Toliver.
Laura Rose
You’re all so well established. How has your job changed over the years?
Adler: The biggest difference I see is that now the artist wants a relationship with their whole team. When I started, none of the agents had direct relationships with their artists. Agents always had to go through a manager. Now artists want to be able to pick up the phone and talk to their agent.
Dickins: When I was first booking tours, there was a load of in-market stuff you never paid much attention to that now you do because the look goes everywhere. Your first look is really important because that can play into stuff later on in a career. It’s way more involved, much more detail-oriented and much more strategic.
Lewis: Social media has changed our lives. It is the key to it all and has changed the way we market and sell everything. Professional networking platforms have given us resources to connect with anyone at any time about anything.
Vlasic: I think the pandemic changed things more than how long I’ve been in the business. Since the pandemic, the whole structure of the business is different in terms of the back-office stuff. I have a beautiful office. I rarely go there. I don’t have a schedule. Maybe I’ve always beat my own drum in terms of being at a company, but the company structure and routine have changed drastically.
Most of you have children. What is it like doing your job as a mother?
Vlasic: I don’t know how I did it. I seriously don’t. I didn’t have family that I could call at any given moment. My husband had his own thing going. I went home almost every night, made sure they had dinner and the homework was done, and then I went out. I don’t know how the girls do it now, but the difference is, if you’re an agent at most companies, you don’t have to be in the office for a certain amount of hours like I did. I remember one time one of my sons was really sick, and I was staying home to get the test results from the doctor … My boss at the time called me and said, “I hope you realize you should be working regular hours,” knowing my son was sick. That wouldn’t happen now.
Adler: I have 23- and 25-year-old sons, and CAA allowed me to [raise them] with such seamless patience. They were incredibly supportive even before it was a thing. I nursed every day, my kids came in, but that was because [CAA managing director] Rob Light had five kids, and he was a great dad. He understood. All the guys here had kids and understood it was family first. I was really lucky in that way.
Dickins: As a female agent, the sacrifices I have to make with a young family are huge. It’s something I battle on a daily basis. I got back from London two days ago. I go to Australia on Sunday, I come back for one day, then I go to London for two days. When I look at men in my positions, they don’t have the guilt that I have … My husband deserves a f–king award because he has to hold the fort all the time. When my 9-year-old is crying because she doesn’t want me to go away and I have to go because I have to spend time with a client, it’s tough. I think that’s why, in the touring aspect, it’s especially hard for women.
Marsha Vlasic, whose clients include Neil Young, The Strokes, Cage the Elephant, Norah Jones and Elvis Costello.
Kat Stanas
In recent years, it feels like the glass ceiling has been broken in agenting, and your careers are a testament to that. Does that feel true? How could this world be more supportive of women?
Vlasic: When I was starting out, I didn’t know I was any different. I didn’t know people viewed me as “You’re one of the only women.” I just worked hard and was determined. There are times I’ll come off a panel and a young girl will come up and say, “It’s so hard for us as women.” I’m thinking, “What the f–k are you talking about?” There are more women agents, more women managers, more women musicians. Don’t use that as an excuse.
Kirby Yoh: I think it has become more supportive to women, but there’s still a lot more to do. There need to be more opportunities, full stop. But we’re getting there. More people are hiring women. More people are empowering them with tools and skills, and more of us are pulling our sisters with us in a good way, like, “Come to the studio with me. Come to the show.”
Lewis: [Billboard’s] Women in Music [has] been an amazing platform not only honoring the talent but also bringing awareness to the behind-the-scenes executives pushing the industry forward. We need more of this. When you put your heart and soul into all that you do and succeed at it, it should raise you up, not keep you stagnant at a company.
Adler: It used to be that the males would pit us against each other because the women weren’t close to each other and there were very few slots. It’s taken a long time to change the narrative of “She can’t be in leadership because she doesn’t get along with so-and-so.”
I don’t know if I should say this, but I’m going to. Women in Music is such a powerful issue. There are few places to celebrate what we do. On the other hand, I say to myself, “But I should be part of the overall list.” I play with the boys every single day. I appreciate all of it and it means so much to me, but that’s where I am today: I love my female sisterhood, but I can also play with everybody.
This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Australia has fallen out of the top 10 global music markets for the first time in nearly three decades, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) latest Global Music Report.
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The annual report, released this week, ranks the world’s largest music markets based on recorded music revenues, with the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom retaining their long-standing dominance in the top three positions. However, for the first time since at least 1996, Australia is absent from the top 10, with Mexico overtaking it to claim the final spot.
Despite this shift, recorded music revenues in Australia continue to rise. The IFPI report states that revenues in Australasia reached $629 million in 2024, reflecting a 6.4% increase, with Australia specifically seeing a 6.1% boost. Similarly, New Zealand experienced a 7.8% revenue increase. Yet, these figures were not enough to maintain Australia’s position in the ranking, as markets like Mexico saw even more rapid growth, with a 15.6% increase, while Brazil, now ranked ninth, grew by a staggering 21.7%.
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Historically, Australia has been a formidable player in the global music industry, reaching as high as No. 6 on the IFPI’s ranking in 2004 and holding that position again from 2007 to 2015. In recent years, however, the country has hovered on the edge of the top 10 before finally dropping out in 2024.
This decline raises questions about the factors influencing Australia’s global standing. While growth remains steady, the rapid expansion of emerging markets suggests a shift in industry investment and audience engagement. Countries like Mexico and Brazil have seen increased investment in A&R, marketing, and local talent development, contributing to their rising influence on the international stage.
The IFPI’s Global Market Overview offers an optimistic outlook overall, noting that worldwide music revenues increased for the tenth consecutive year, growing 4.8% to a total of $29.6 billion. “The growth tells a story of an industry that continues to evolve and adapt around the world – with every region experiencing growth,” the report states.
However, the challenge for Australia lies in securing a stronger foothold in the global landscape amid this evolving market. Recent figures from ARIA indicate six consecutive years of revenue growth in Australia’s recorded music sector, but the nation’s industry leaders may need to explore new strategies to regain their competitive edge. Increased investment in local artists, a greater push for international market penetration, and innovations in streaming and digital distribution could all be key to Australia reclaiming its spot in the global top 10.
The full IFPI Global Music Report is available for review, providing further insights into the shifts shaping the industry in 2025.
Veteran record label executive Joe McFadden, who worked for decades at companies including EMI Music and Capitol Records, died March 11 following a long illness. He was 77.
McFadden launched his career at EMI in 1975 and later worked at Capitol Records as senior vp of sales and field marketing. While at the latter label, he worked with acts including Paul McCartney, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger, Megadeth, Duran Duran, Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Iron Maiden.
In 2007, McFadden departed Capitol to open an independent consultancy, The Hammer LLC, where he worked with Punch Andrews and Mike Boila as a sales and marketing consultant for Seger. From 2007 to 2008, McFadden was also in charge of sales, marketing and promotions for Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album and world tour.
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McFadden joined Better Noise Music in 2008 as chief commercial officer. In that role, he oversaw operations, strategic planning and artist development for acts including Five Finger Death Punch, Mötley Crüe, Papa Roach, The Hu and Buckcherry.
Prior to entering the major label system, McFadden received an education in the music business through his father, Jack McFadden, with whom he worked to manage artists including Buck Owens and Merle Haggard from their home base in Bakersfield, Calif. He went on to earn a business administration and management degree from Fresno State University.
“Joe McFadden was more than just a colleague; he was a dear friend and an invaluable partner in our journey together since we first met in 1987,” said Better Noise Music founder Allen Kovac, who worked with McFadden in various capacities for more than 30 years.
Kovac added, “Joe admired my clarity in marketing, but what I valued most was his unwavering honesty and practical thinking. Together, we navigated the challenging waters of the music industry, working on projects like Richard [Marx] and Duran Duran. At times when many doubted, Joe stood firmly by my side as a label executive, always ready to open doors and create opportunities for us to succeed.” (Kovac’s full tribute is below.)
McFadden is survived by his wife Ellen McFadden; his sister Lana Waltman; his sons Jonathan McFadden, Jeffrey McFadden and David Torello; his daughter Sara Torello Hart; and grandchildren Jeffrey McFadden Jr., Maci McFadden Stanford, Vivian Hart and Elijah Hart.
A service will be held Saturday (March 22) at 1:15 p.m. at Church of the Recession at Forest Lawn in Glendale, Calif. The live stream can be viewed here. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in McFadden’s honor to St. Jude’s Hospital, which he supported throughout his life.
Allen Kovac tribute:
Joe McFadden was more than just a colleague; he was a dear friend and an invaluable partner in our journey together since we first met in 1987.
I still vividly recall that day in the bleachers of a gym in Philadelphia. I was a relatively unknown manager on the rise, working with Richard Marx, while Joe was with CEMA Distribution, quietly making his mark. As we listened to Richard perform, something remarkable happened. Joe, who initially struck me as understated, became animated and vocal, pointing at Richard and proclaiming, “That kid is going to be a star.” From that moment on, a bond was forged between us—two believers in the power of music and vision.
Joe admired my clarity in marketing, but what I valued most was his unwavering honesty and practical thinking. Together, we navigated the challenging waters of the music industry, working on projects like Richard and Duran Duran. At times when many doubted, Joe stood firmly by my side as a label executive, always ready to open doors and create opportunities for us to succeed.
When I took the leap to start my own record company, one of my first hires was, without question, Joe. He was not just an employee; he was the foundation upon which we built our dreams. At our retreats, where new ideas were often met with skepticism, Joe would be the voice of reason, encouraging everyone to listen to my vision and reminding them that I saw possibilities they might have missed. His confidence in me gave me strength, and I will forever be grateful for that.
Every morning at our retreats, Joe would be the first to rise and greet the day. He would come down to breakfast with a smile, often sharing his fondness for the wonderful pillows in my master guest bedroom. He always got that room because of the deep respect I had for him, just as I cherished ending each night with my best scotch, a tradition we shared and enjoyed together.
Joe’s spirit, enthusiasm, and unwavering support have left an indelible mark on all of us. He was a true champion for those he believed in, and today, as we remember him, let us carry forward his legacy of belief, honesty, and camaraderie in our own lives and work.
Joe, thank you for being my partner, my friend, and a guiding light in our industry. You will be profoundly missed, but your influence will live on through each of us.
Rest in peace.
LONDON — Global music sales grew for the tenth consecutive year in 2024 but the risk of generative AI systems using copyright-protected music to freely train their systems poses “a very real and present threat” to the future of the industry, warn record executives.
Total recorded music revenues climbed to $29.6 billion in 2024, a rise of 4.8% on the previous year, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) Global Music Report 2025, published Wednesday (Mar. 19).
Driving the growth was a strong increase in paid streaming subscription revenue, which rose 9.5% to $15.2 billion, while total streaming revenues, comprising of paid subscription and advertising-supported tiers, rose 7.3% year-on-year to $20.4 billion, representing 69% of recorded music sales worldwide.
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Although last year’s growth rate is roughly half that of 2023 (when revenues rose by just over 10%) total music sales still reached the highest level since 1999 — when IFPI first started compiling global music revenues and sales totaled $22.2 billion — on an absolute dollar basis, not accounting for inflation. Piracy and declining physical sales saw the market bottom out at $13 billion in 2014.
The subsequent recovery and decade-long growth of the global record industry is now, however, being placed in jeopardy by tech companies who want to rollback copyright protections to enable them to use music works without a license for training AI systems, caution creators and executives. Earlier this week, Paul McCartney and Paul Simon were among 400 musicians, filmmakers, writers and actors who signed an open letter to the Trump administration opposing submissions from tech companies OpenAI, Anthropic and Google who want to use copyrighted works without permission from rights holders.
In the United Kingdom, the government is consulting on proposed changes to copyright law that, if implemented, would allow AI developers to freely use creators’ content for training purposes, unless rights holders “opt out.”
“We are asking policymakers to protect music and artistry,” said IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley in a statement accompanying the Global Music Report. “We must harness the potential of AI to support and amplify human creativity, not to replace it.”
“If those [tech companies] arguing for these exceptions get their way, they can… put the existing [digital music services] out of business while paying artists and songwriters nothing. That is an incredible market distortion,” said Dennis Kooker, president of global digital business at Sony Music Entertainment, at the report launch in London.
Breaking down 2024’s global music sales, users of paid music subscriptions grew to 752 million worldwide, says the London-based organization, a rise of over 10% on the previous year. Subscription streaming revenues now account for just over 50% of global music sales.
On the physical side of the business, an 18th consecutive year of vinyl sales growth (up 4.6%) was not enough to arrest a 3.1% slide in overall physical revenues, which fell to $4.8 billion. IFPI said the decrease was partially due to a fall in physical sales in Asia, which accounts for more than 45% of all physical revenues worldwide.
In terms of market share, physical accounted for just over 16% of the overall market last year, down from 18% in 2023.
Performance rights revenue climbed 5.9% to $2.9 billion, representing just under 10% of global revenues and marking the sector’s fourth successive year of growth. Sync income was flat with 2023 at $650 million, representing a 2.2% share of the market.
Taylor Swift was 2024’s biggest-selling global artist, ahead of Canadian rapper Drake and K-pop sensation SEVENTEEN, IFPI announced last month, marking the fifth time she that she has taken the global crown and third consecutive year. Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things was last year’s biggest-selling global single across all digital formats with 2.1 billion equivalent streams.
Mexico Breaks Into Global Top 10 Music Markets, Bumping Australia
In terms of world markets, IFPI said that music revenues were up in every region and all but three of the 58 markets it tracks, with the U.S. retaining its long-held No. 1 position with music sales growing 2.2% year-on-year. By comparison, the U.S. recorded music market grew by 7.2% in 2023 and 4.8% the year prior.
The world’s second largest music market, Japan, was flat year-on-year due to a decline in physical sales, reports IFPI. The third and fourth-biggest markets for recorded music remain the United Kingdom (+4.9%) and Germany (+4.1%), respectively. China, ranked No. 5 globally, grew music sales by 9.6%. (IFPI’s free-to-access report does not provide market-by-market revenue breakdowns).
The rest of the top 10 is made up of France (+7.5%), South Korea (-5.7%), Canada (+1.5%), Brazil (+21.7%, the fastest growing top 10 market) and Mexico, which increased revenues by 15.6% to overtake Australia as the tenth largest global recorded music market.
Those cross-market gains are mirrored on a regional basis with revenues from the U.S. and Canada region up 2.1% and together representing the greatest share of global music sales at just over 40%.
Latin America — where streaming makes up almost 88% of the recorded music market — saw growth of 22.5%, once again far outpacing the global growth rate and marking the region’s 15th consecutive year of revenue growth.
Europe remains the second-biggest region for music sales, accounting for more than a quarter (29.5%) of global revenues and growing 8.3% year-on-year. In third place is Asia, where overall revenues rose by just 1.3% compared to almost 15% in 2023 due to a 4.9% fall in physical sales.
The two fastest growing regions globally were Middle East and North Africa, where streaming holds a 99.5% share of the market and which saw music sales grow 22.8%, and Sub-Saharan Africa, which recorded a 22.6% rise in revenues to surpass $100 million for the first time.
South Africa remains the largest market in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, accounting for 75% of its revenues, following growth of 14.4%. Revenues in Australasia climbed 6.4% to $629 million with Australia and New Zealand increasing sales by 6.1% and 7.8% respectively.
(IFPI uses current exchange rates when compiling its Global Music Report, restating all historic local currency values on an annual basis. Market values therefore vary retrospectively as a result of foreign currency movements, says IFPI, which represents more than 8,000 record company members worldwide, including all three major labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group.)
Tom Corson, co-chairman/COO of Warner Records, is set to receive the City of Hope’s 2025 Spirit of Life Award. It will be presented this fall at the annual Spirit of Life Gala in Los Angeles. For more than 50 years, the music industry has united around the Spirit of Life campaign, raising nearly $170 million to support City of Hope’s research and treatment efforts — mainly focused on cancer and diabetes.
“It is a profound honor to be recognized as this year’s Spirit of Life honoree,” Corson said in a statement. “At Warner Records, we often say it’s not just about the song — it’s about the artist. In the same way, City of Hope isn’t just about treatments — it’s about the people, their dreams, and their futures. When I sit down with an artist, we talk about their goals and aspirations, and we work to make those dreams a reality. That same spirit of transformation is at the core of City of Hope’s mission: turning hope into tangible breakthroughs for patients fighting cancer. The music industry has always been about more than entertainment; it’s about connection, transformation, and impact. I am proud to stand with my peers in championing this cause and supporting the vital and lifesaving work City of Hope does every day.”
Evan Lamberg, president of Universal Music Publishing Group North America and chairman of City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry (MFEI) board, said Corson’s honor was well-earned: “Tom has been an unwavering supporter of City of Hope for years, and his leadership and dedication to both our industry and this cause make him a truly deserving honoree.”
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Alissa Pollack, executive vp of global music marketing at iHeartMedia and president of City of Hope’s MFEI board, added: “Tom Corson has been a driving force in shaping modern music, and his philanthropic passion reflects that same commitment. The Spirit of Life campaign reminds us of the power of music to heal and inspire, and Tom’s leadership will help us elevate that message even further this year.”
“We are thrilled to honor Tom Corson as this year’s Spirit of Life recipient,” said Kristin Bertell, chief philanthropy officer at City of Hope. “Tom’s leadership, both in the music industry and as a long-time member of the Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Board, exemplifies the transformative spirit that defines our work.”
The honor is a cornerstone of the MFEI’s annual philanthropic campaign. This year, the campaign takes on even greater significance as Los Angeles continues to recover from January’s devastating wildfires — events that not only displaced families but also contributed to long-term health risks due to toxic smoke exposure.
A group of key industry executives founded City of Hope’s MFEI group in 1973. The Spirit of Life Award is the organization’s most prestigious honor. Past honorees include Jay Marciano, Lyor Cohen, Shelli and Irving Azoff, Edgar Bronfman Jr., Coran Capshaw, Eddy Cue, Clive Davis, Sir Lucian Grainge, Allen Grubman, Quincy Jones, Rob Light, Monte and Avery Lipman, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, Bob Pittman, Jon Platt and Sylvia Rhone.
Since Corson joined Warner Records in January 2018, the storied label has had success with such new and established artists as Dua Lipa, Zach Bryan, Michael Bublé, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Rufus Du Sol, Linkin Park, Cher, Dasha, Red Hot Chili Peppers, JISOO, Josh Groban, Gary Clark Jr., Green Day, The Black Keys, Saweetie, NLE Choppa and Omar Apollo.
Corson came to Warner Records from RCA Music Group, where he spent nearly 18 years and most recently served as president/COO. He began his career in the music industry as a college intern at IRS Records. Upon graduating from UCLA, he joined the label as director of West Coast sales. Corson moved to A&M Records in 1985, advancing to vp of marketing. In 1990, he was named senior vp of marketing at Capitol Records. From 1996 to 2000, he served as senior vp of marketing at Columbia Records.
Corson has appeared on the Billboard Power 100 list for the last 14 years. On this year’s list, published in January, he and Warner Records co-chairman/CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck were listed at No. 15. Billboard’s capsule entry noted, in part: “Since taking over Warner in 2018, they’ve signed stars Zach Bryan, who was a 21-time finalist for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards; Teddy Swims and Benson Boone, who are both nominated for best new artist Grammys; Dasha, who ‘crossed over in pop and country,’ Corson says; and rapper NLE Choppa, who hit 9 billion career total streams. The label also relaunched Linkin Park, which released its first studio album in seven years, From Zero, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.”
In addition, Corson and Bay-Schuck were named 2024 Variety Hitmakers Executive of the Year. Corson is a member of the Recording Academy and the Music and Entertainment Industry board for City of Hope and also sits on the executive committee of the board of directors for the T.J Martell Foundation. He is also the chairman of the UCLA School of Music Business’ board of advisors.
Recorded music revenue in the United States notched record-high revenues of $17.7 billion in 2024, marking a modest 3% increase from 2023 but capping a ninth straight year of upward mobility for the U.S. business, according to the RIAA. Like a broken record, this growth was once again primarily driven by streaming and the enduring popularity of vinyl.
The music industry’s total revenue gain of 3% in 2024 is a decrease from the 7.7% increase seen in 2023.
Streaming continued to dominate the music industry, accounting for 84% of total revenues for the third consecutive year. Streaming revenue grew by 4% to $14.9 billion, with paid subscriptions the leading contributor, rising 5% to $11.7 billion, which alone made up 79% of all streaming revenues and nearly two-thirds of all recorded music revenue.
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For the first time, the number of paid subscriptions surpassed 100 million, increasing by 3% from the previous year’s tally of 97 million.
However, revenue from limited-tier subscriptions — which include services like Amazon Prime, Pandora Plus, fitness streaming services and other paid subs that don’t offer full, on-demand catalogs — declined by 2% to $1 billion. It’s an improvement over 2023, though, when that drop was 4%.
Reversing last year’s gains, ad-supported streaming experienced a slight decline. Revenue from ad-supported on-demand music services like YouTube and Spotify’s free tier dropped by 2% to $1.8 billion. (Last year it was 2% but in the black.) Digital and customized radio services, including SiriusXM, grew modestly by 3% to reach $1.4 billion. SoundExchange distributions, which handle payments for artists and copyright holders, rose by 5% to $1.1 billion, while other ad-supported streaming revenue fell by 4% to $306 million.
Most physical music formats saw a continued resurgence, with total revenues increasing by 5% to $2 billion. Vinyl was the standout performer yet again, growing by 7% to $1.4 billion, marking its 18th consecutive year of growth. Vinyl albums outsold CDs, with 44 million units sold compared to 33 million CDs. A year prior, those numbers were 43.2 million and 37 million, meaning the gap between the physical cousins is growing. Despite these trends, CD revenue still grew by 1% to $541 million compared to $537.1 million.
Digital downloads continued their downward spiral, decreasing by 18% to $336 million, compared to $434.1 million in 2023. This category now represents only 2% of the total music industry revenue, a significant drop from its 2012 peak when it accounted for 43% of the market. Both individual track and album downloads saw double-digit percentage declines.
The overall percentage breakdown between digital and physical revenue—88% to 12%—has remained consistent since 2018, with only minor fluctuations of 1% in either direction over the years. At the wholesale level, total revenue increased by 2.7%, rising to $11.3 billion from last year’s $11 billion, marking the third consecutive year this metric has surpassed the $10 billion mark.
The organization noted that this marks the first year of direct reporting from independent labels, including sync revenue estimates from indie sources.
RIAA chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier highlighted the “historic milestone” of over 100 million paid subs driving two-thirds of revenues, calling it an “extraordinary achievement by an industry that has successfully focused on its creative and commercial core by championing innovative new services, options, and experiences that add real value for fans.”
Glazier added: “Music has never been more dynamic, compelling, and relevant – reaching out beyond our earbuds with conversation-driving cultural touchstones like unforgettable halftime performances, historic television moments or must-see films and biopics. And American fans and superfans’ dedication to the artists they support promises an even brighter future as record labels work to create new opportunities that boost incomes for artists and diverse revenue streams to grow the pie for everyone with a stake in the music economy.”
RIAA’s Year-End Report By the Numbers:
The U.S. recorded music industry reached an all-time high of $17.7 billion in estimated retail value.
Streaming generated $14.9 billion — making up 84% of total industry revenue.
Paid music subscriptions surpassed 100 million for the first time, contributing $11.7 billion, nearly two-thirds of total revenue.
Vinyl sales increased for the 18th straight year, reaching $1.4 billion, the highest level since 1984.
For the third year in a row, vinyl records (44 million units) outsold CDs (33 million units).