capitol music group
A week after chairman/CEO John Janick introduced the newly-formed Interscope Capitol Labels Group and named several members of his C-suite to top roles, the structure of the divisions of the new company are coming into focus with a slew of announcements.
On Monday (March 11), Janick named the members of Interscope Geffen A&M’s new pop/rock and urban music teams, with 13 executives receiving new remits within the new structure, including three co-presidents of Interscope Geffen A&M. The duo in charge of pop/rock are IGA co-president/head of creative strategy Michelle An and IGA co-president/head of pop/rock A&R Sam Riback, with executive reporting to them including executive vp of pop/rock A&R Matt Morris; co-heads of pop/rock digital Chris Mortimer and Kirsten Stubbs; senior vp of pop/rock marketing Adrian Amodeo; and vp of pop/rock visual creative Chelsea Dodson.
The urban music team will be lead by IGA co-president/head of urban A&R Nicole Wyskoarko alongside executive vp/head of urban marketing Laura Carter, with president of Geffen urban A&RB Aaron “Dash” Sherrod and executive vp/head of urban digital Ramon Alvarez-Smikle. Reporting to them are senior vp of urban marketing and strategy Lola Plaku and senior vp of visual creative/head of urban creative Andrew Ibea.
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(Top Row L-R) Andrew Ibea, Aaron “Dash” Sherrod, Nicole Wyskoarko, Matt Morris,
Chelsea Dodson, Sam Riback, Ramon Alvarez-Smikle, Lola Plaku.
(Seated Row L-R) Laura Carter, Kirsten Stubbs, Adrian Amodeo, Chris Mortimer, Michelle An.
Courtesy of ICLG
Almost all the executives across those two departments continue from Interscope Geffen A&M, where they had previously worked under Janick.
“Each of these executives exemplifies the culture of innovative thinking, entrepreneurial spirit and wide-ranging success that have long defined IGA,” Janick said about them in a statement. “As we continue to solidify our team and finalize the redesign of our broader company, we are creating a modern music company that will set the standard for our industry and provide the optimal environment in which our artists can thrive and achieve excellence in music.”
Today (March 12), Janick named another 13 executives to roles in the corporate leadership of ICLG, working across both IGA and Capitol Music Group, consisting of a mix of executives from both previous labels who will be reporting in to C-suite leaders announced last week.
Steve Berman, ICLG’s vice chairman, will oversee departments that will be led by executive vp of urban promotion Bill Evans; executive vp/head of media Ambrosia Healy; senior vp of sports and gaming Dave Nieman; executive vp/head of strategic marketing & brands Daniel Sena; and senior vp of creative synch licensing Jenny Swiatowy. Of those, Evans, Healy and Swiatowy came from Capitol, while Nieman and Sena remain from Interscope.
ICLG general manager and chief revenue officer Gary Kelly, meanwhile, will oversee departments led by senior vp of production Gretchen Anderson; senior vp of revenue Nicole Csabai; executive vp of international marketing Jurgen Grebner; vp/head of analytics Wayne Laakko; president of promotion/ICLG executive vp Greg Marella; and executive vp of direct-to-consumer strategy Xavier Ramos. Of those, Anderson, Csabai, Grebner, Ramos and Laakko remain from Interscope, while Marella comes from Capitol.
Finally, under ICLG CFO Geoff Harris, who reports to ICLG COO Annie Lee, are vp of A&R administration Steve Cook and vp of artist relations Kim Valderas. Both Cook and Valderas come from Capitol Music Group/Motown Records.
Courtesy of ICLG
“Naming these executives to company-wide positions further strengthens and solidifies our redesign of ICLG,” Janick said in a statement about the new positions today. “IGA’s and CMG’s core label teams are now able to draw upon the best-in-class skills and expertise for all of their artists, as well as more ably secure a broad array of opportunities and experiences throughout the world.”
The new Interscope Geffen A&M team joins the recently-installed new executive team at Capitol Music Group, which consists of former Geffen boss Tom March as chairman/CEO and UMPG veteran Lilia Parsa as president, following the departures of prior CMG chair/CEO Michelle Jubelirer and president Arjun Pulijal. The moves are all part of the major overhaul of the Universal Music Group label structure that UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge first announced on Feb. 1, which moved UMG’s West Coast labels — Interscope, Geffen, A&M, Capitol, Blue Note, Priority, Verve and Motown — under Janick’s purview at ICLG, and its East Coast labels — consisting mostly of Republic, Def Jam, Island and Mercury — under Republic co-founder and CEO Monte Lipman. News of the new East Coast structure is also expected soon. The company has been going through extensive layoffs in the past week, as IGA and Capitol formally merge together and the East Coast teams are being solidified.
Interscope Geffen A&M chairman/CEO John Janick unveiled the newly restructured ‘West Coast’ label operation for the Universal Music Group today (March 7), under the banner Interscope Capitol Labels Group, with himself retaining the title atop the new configuration. As part of the announcement, longtime IGA vice chairman Steve Berman retains his title atop the new company, overseeing things for Interscope, Geffen, A&M, Capitol, Blue Note, Priority, Verve and Motown; and IGA CFO and longtime finance veteran Annie Lee takes on the title of chief operating officer at the new ICLG.
Under the new configuration, Capitol Music Group chief financial officer Geoff Harris will become the CFO of the new company, which is the result of the major overhaul of the Universal Music Group label structure that UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge first announced on Feb. 1. Under the new structure, UMG’s West Coast labels now fall under Janick’s purview, under the banner of ICLG, while its East Coast labels — consisting mostly of Republic, Def Jam, Island and Mercury — will be overseen by Republic co-founder and CEO Monte Lipman. News of the new East Coast structure is also expected soon.
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More details of the ICLG configuration are still to come, but Capitol Music Group’s new executive structure has come into focus this past month, with former Geffen boss Tom March as chairman/CEO and UMPG veteran Lilia Parsa as president, following the departures of prior CMG chair/CEO Michelle Jubelirer and president Arjun Pulijal. The company has been going through extensive layoffs in the past week, as IGA and Capitol formally merge together.
In a press release, Janick said that, in addition to Berman’s continued role overseeing the labels and the ICLG brand, Lee will work with Harris to “integrat[e] finance, operations and culture” and make sure that “ICLG runs efficiently and sustains a positive experience for its artists and teams.”
“Steve and Annie are both highly accomplished executives who have been critical to our company’s growth and success for more than two decades,” Janick said in a statement. “They have worked closely with me in redesigning ICLG to benefit and enhance each individual label under our umbrella and foster an entrepreneurial spirit that will set the standard for what a modern music company should be. I congratulate Steve and Annie on their well-deserved promotions, and look forward to sharing enormous success with them in the coming years.”
Berman is an Interscope legend, having joined the company in 1991 just after its founding and risen through the marketing and sales ranks to president by 2005, then vice chairman of the expanded IGA in 2010 alongside label co-founder and CEO Jimmy Iovine. Berman retained the title after Janick took over in 2014, and now takes on additional oversight of the Capitol labels under ICGL.
“Every aspect of our redesign will enable us to provide optimal support for our artists and their creativity, while securing the best and most innovative opportunities that will help expand their global brands,” Berman said in a statement. “I’ve devoted nearly my entire career to this company and its artists, and I am excited to continue working with John, Annie and the entire ICLG team on this next phase of our journey.”
Lee joined Universal in a finance role in 2005, and moved to Interscope the following year, rising through the finance ranks at the company to become CFO in 2019. In her new role, she takes on operational responsibilities for the broader label group.
“I am looking forward to working with John, Berm and our entire team as we continue to build ICLG into a modern music company that is both a powerful partner to artists and their teams and a fulfilling and creative environment in which to work,” Lee said in a statement. “We are well positioned for the future and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Capitol Music Group co-president Arjun Pulijal has stepped down from his role after 11 years at the company, he announced in an internal memo obtained by Billboard.
The move comes amid a broader executive shakeup atop the company, as former CMG chair/CEO Michelle Jubelirer stepped down from her role on Feb. 6, with Geffen president Tom March coming in to replace her and UMPG veteran Lilia Parsa named co-president the following day.
Pulijal was named CMG president by Jubelirer in January 2022, shortly after she ascended to the top role. Prior to that, Pulijal had run the marketing department at Capitol Records; he initially joined Capitol in 2013 after a seven-year stint at Epic Records.
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“Today marks my 11 year anniversary at Capitol Music Group,” Pulijal wrote in the memo. “[Eleven] years of aspiring to help artists of all types in whatever way I could. [Eleven] years of a commitment to honor an iconic music company’s legacy and embrace disruption to modernize it in equal measure. [Eleven] years of working with incredible people and building relationships that transcend the word ‘colleague.’ … It is surreal and difficult to say goodbye to a company I’ve called home for over a decade. I’ve had the unique experience of growing my career at Capitol. From campaign builder to artist confidant to leader, I’ve seen this company through many lenses.”
Pulijal’s departure comes days after Capitol’s parent company Universal Music Group began the process of laying off dozens of people at Capitol and other labels as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s label divisions, which UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge first announced Feb. 1 and which was confirmed Feb. 28. As part of that overhaul, Interscope Geffen A&M chairman/CEO John Janick received oversight of Interscope, Geffen, Capitol, Motown, Priority, Verve and Blue Note, while Republic Records CEO Monte Lipman will oversee Republic, Def Jam, Island and Mercury.
“I feel for all of those people exiting the company this past week, many of whom didn’t have the luxury of choice like I did,” Pulijal wrote, nodding to the layoffs at Capitol. “Know that you and I are leaving on a high note. You were all a vital part of the success we had over the last few years in particular. We built a company based on a shared love of music, artistry, creativity, diversity, transparency, empathy, and efficiency in a complex and unforgiving marketplace… and we had historic success doing it. I will carry those values forward into the future, to wherever my journey goes from here. When I figure it out, you all will be the first to know.”
Read Pulijal’s full memo below.
Today marks my 11 year anniversary at Capitol Music Group.
11 years of aspiring to help artists of all types in whatever way I could.
11 years of a commitment to honor an iconic music company’s legacy and embrace disruption to modernize it in equal measure.
11 years of working with incredible people and building relationships that transcend the word ‘colleague’.
In a bittersweet & appropriately full-circle turn of events, today I am announcing that I have made the decision to leave my position as President of Capitol Music Group.
It is surreal and difficult to say goodbye to a company I’ve called home for over a decade. I’ve had the unique experience of growing my career at Capitol. From campaign builder to artist confidant to leader, I’ve seen this company through many lenses. We’ve always valued storytelling to help artists connect with audiences, so I of course couldn’t depart without telling a story:
When I assumed the position of President, I received many notes of congratulations from past Capitol employees that I’d never met, many of whom worked for the company decades ago and had long since departed. It was evident that this iconic company continues to hold such an important place in people’s lives and music history. One such note pointed out that I was named President exactly 50 years after the legendary late Bhaskar Menon held the same position. As a person of Indian descent and one of the (sadly) few AAPI leaders in music, knowing that someone with my same cultural background succeeded in this role was beyond inspiring. I read everything I could about his intrepid life and career, including speaking with colleagues and his family. While he achieved monumental success with artists and records, it was clear the most enduring part of his legacy was how he treated people. He embraced constructive confrontation, leading with honesty and grace. These were virtues I always aimed to honor.
It’s about people first.
When artists ask me why they need a label, I always say “it’s about the people.”
I feel for all of those people exiting the company this past week, many of whom didn’t have the luxury of choice like I did. Know that you and I are leaving on a high note. You were all a vital part of the success we had over the last few years in particular. We built a company based on a shared love of music, artistry, creativity, diversity, transparency, empathy, and efficiency in a complex and unforgiving marketplace….and we had historic success doing it. I will carry those values forward into the future, to wherever my journey goes from here. When I figure it out, you all will be the first to know.
I leave with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the artists and staff, & wish the new leadership – John Janick, Steve Berman, Tom March, & Lillia Parsa – nothing but the best moving forward. I will be available to help in the background with transition over the coming weeks before officially departing later this month.
Thank You.
The layoffs and restructuring at the Universal Music Group have begun to take place, multiple sources tell Billboard.
As part of the new structure, several top executives have been laid off, Billboard can confirm. Interscope Geffen A&M president of promotion Brenda Romano is among those to have been let go, as well as Interscope’s executive vp/head of media strategy and communications Cara Donatto and Def Jam executive vp of media and brand strategy Gabe Tesoriero.
So far, Billboard has confirmed over two dozen layoffs across UMG labels, including Interscope, Republic, Capitol, Def Jam and Island.
The layoffs began shortly after Universal wrapped up its fourth quarter earnings call Wednesday, during which chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge confirmed a long-rumored “strategic organizational redesign” that would result in “reduced headcount” and “efficiencies.” A UMG spokesperson declined to say how many staffers would be affected by the cuts, but the company told investors that it expected to realize 250 million euros ($271 million) in annual savings by 2026 through the move. Universal saw 11.11 billion euros ($12 billion) in revenue in 2023, and reaped a net profit of 1.26 billion euros ($1.37 billion).
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The layoffs had been in the offing since last October, when Grainge mentioned that UMG would need to “cut to grow” in a Q3 earnings call, then said in a January New Year’s memo to staff that despite UMG being the “most successful company in the history of the music industry,” the company would “further evolve our organizational structure to create efficiencies in other areas of the business, so we can remain nimble and responsive to opportunities as they arise, while also taking advantage of the benefits of our scale.” A spokesperson then confirmed cuts were coming in a statement Jan. 12, after Bloomberg reported the company planned to cut “hundreds” of jobs in the first quarter of the year.
Layoffs continued Thursday (Feb. 29), and some staffers speculated to Billboard that they may continue into Friday. There is no word on how many people were affected, nor any specifics in what departments they were, though in addition to promotions, publicity and A&R, at least some people in logistics, synch, international and commercial marketing were among the layoffs. Staff members from Republic, Interscope, Capitol, Island and Def Jam were among those laid off.
On Feb. 1, Grainge announced in an internal memo that Universal would be restructuring its label operations, adopting a loose East Coast-West Coast operation wherein Republic Records co-founder/CEO Monte Lipman would begin to oversee Republic, Def Jam, Island and Mercury, and Interscope Geffen A&M chairman/CEO John Janick would take responsibility for Interscope, Geffen, Capitol, Motown, Priority, Verve and Blue Note. Days later, Capitol Music Group chair/CEO Michelle Jubelirer announced she was stepping down from her post and was replaced by Geffen president Tom March as chairman/CEO of Capitol and Universal Music Publishing Group executive Lillia Parsa joining as co-president alongside Arjun Pulijal.
As part of the new alignment, and with Donatto and Tesoriero out at Interscope and Def Jam, respectively, it appears that Capitol Music Group executive vp/head of media strategy and relations Ambrosia Healy will now run corporate communications for the West Coast labels, and Republic Records executive vp of media and artist relations Joe Carozza will oversee corporate communications for the East Coast labels.
Reps for UMG did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Additionally, reps for several individual labels either declined to comment or could not be reached for comment.
This story is developing.
In December 2021, when Michelle Jubelirer became Capitol Music Group chair/CEO — and Capitol’s first female chief executive in its 80-plus-year history — she didn’t take much time to dwell on her historic accomplishment: She had a flailing company to save.
“The challenges [I inherited] were plentiful,” Jubelirer admits. CMG faced a falling market share, staff turnover, pandemic challenges and an unwieldy artist roster. “The truth is,” she says, “a lot of change happened in a short period of time.”
Many believed Jubelirer, then CMG’s COO, was destined for Capitol’s top job the year prior. By that time, her résumé already included a stint at a white-shoe law firm, years in legal affairs at Sony and nearly a decade as an artist lawyer for acts like Nas, Pharrell Williams and Frank Ocean — plus almost a decade in Capitol’s top ranks. When her longtime mentor, Steve Barnett, stepped down as CMG chair/CEO at the end of 2020, Jubelirer seemed to some to be a natural choice to replace him. But Universal Music Group (UMG) chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge handed the role to Capitol Records president Jeff Vaughn instead. (In the shift, Jubelirer was elevated to CMG president/COO.) When Vaughn assumed his new role, the company was already on shaky ground; under his leadership, it continued to falter.
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After less than a year as CEO, Vaughn left the company, and Jubelirer was elevated to the post. With her guidance, the label group’s fortunes quickly started to change. At a time when minting new superstars is harder than ever, the company won a bidding war (alongside 10K Projects) in fall 2022 for Ice Spice, who would become the defining breakout star of 2023. It also topped the Billboard Hot 100 with queer anthem “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, worked with Universal Music Enterprises to bring back The Beatles with the artificial intelligence-powered single “Now and Then,” achieved TikTok virality with Doechii’s “Block Boy (What It Is)” (in a new partnership with Top Dawg Entertainment) and reinvigorated the art of the music video — which has declined in popularity in recent years — with Troye Sivan’s creative clips for “Rush,” “One of Your Girls” and “Got Me Started.”
Those successes didn’t insulate CMG from impact amid UMG’s widespread restructuring in 2024, though. On Feb. 1 — shortly after Jubelirer’s interview for this story — UMG revealed much of its plan: Its frontline label system would be split beneath one East Coast executive (Republic’s Monte Lipman) and one West Coast executive (Interscope’s John Janick), Grainge explained in a letter to staff. The restructure would have moved Jubelirer, who was reporting directly to Grainge, under Janick. Six days later, Jubelirer wrote a heartfelt message to her staff announcing her exit, effective immediately.
“When I joined Capitol, I made a stringent promise to myself,” Jubelirer said in a Feb. 2 speech at an Entertainment Law Initiative event in Los Angeles. “The day I stopped changing the record company more than it was changing me would be the day I would walk away.”
As she finalizes the details of her exit from UMG, Jubelirer declined to discuss her future plans — or Capitol’s. But whether she stays in the label business, goes into management or does something else entirely, her impact on Capitol and its artists is clear. “She’s the fiercest when it comes to protecting artists,” says Jody Gerson, chair/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) and Jubelirer’s longtime friend. “She’s not afraid to fight for what she believes is right.”
“I’m so honored to have worked with such a great woman and boss like Michelle,” Ice Spice says. “She always believed in me and supported my vision from the very beginning. I’m so grateful for her and all that she has done.”
Jubelirer with her son, Stone.
Yuri Hasegawa
What are some of your biggest wins over the last two years?
First and foremost, I think the biggest win is the incredible team. And what we’ve been able to do in two short years, I think it’s the fastest turnaround of a record label. And quite frankly, we’ve been able to sign a diverse roster of artists and modernize the label while prioritizing artists and ensuring that each artist gets uniquely what they need.
How do you balance Capitol’s storied history and what you want it to represent today?
Given that it has been in existence for 80-plus years, it wasn’t lost on me that I was the first woman chair/CEO. And that’s not a great fact, let’s admit, for all women. But the reality is the grandeur of the company and its [previous] artists’ paths are not the focus. The focus is the new, fresh artists that we are breaking day in and day out.
How has your background at Capitol helped you as chair/CEO?
It’s kind of funny: I think I’ve been leading the company all along in my 11-plus years here. [When I became CEO], I knew all of our team, I knew all of the artists. That really helped. But first and foremost, the most educational piece for me was before I got to Capitol, when I was an attorney. In my heart of hearts — no matter what my title is or where I work — I am an artist advocate at my core. That’s who I am. That’s the thought I bring every single day to my job.
What was your first move as CEO to course-correct Capitol?
The three primary pillars I worked on were signing a diverse group of artists, ensuring that the company was reorganized in a way for artists to interact with labels in the way that fans interact with artists and ensuring that artists were prioritized in a way that was right for them specifically.
Capitol Records/10K Projects signee Ice Spice was one of 2023’s biggest breakout stars. What sets her apart?
There’s no question about it: She is the breakout artist of 2023. I don’t think anyone could argue otherwise. And getting into business with her [has been] incredibly exciting and motivating. Ice is a girl’s girl, and she surrounded herself with strong women and signed with strong women. I’m just one of them. She signed with [UMPG’s] Jody Gerson on the publishing side. She has made the right choices in her career every step of the way, from her look to her flow to her collaborations. She knows exactly who she is, and she’s unwavering about it.
What is the key to label success today? You’ve had new successes in the last year while many labels have struggled to break any artists.
Ultimately, everything is about the artist and the team of people. We have those both in spades. I mean, it was incredible to see the fact that we were the No. 1 TikTok label for 2023. Who would have thought that a year or two ago for Capitol Music Group?
Did you always dream of being a record-label CEO?
My dad died when I was 3 years old. I watched my mother struggle to figure out how to take care of our family. Music got me through all of the hard times. Unlike our artists, however, I had zero talent, and I knew it from a young age. (Laughs.) I wasn’t getting into music based on any talent that I had.
My father was a lawyer, and I knew that financially I needed a way to take care of myself. So I went to law school, graduated with a lot of debt and became a mergers and acquisitions lawyer at a big white-shoe law firm in Manhattan. If you know anything about me, you know that I am not the conservative type; I often wear a “F–k you” belt. I didn’t really fit in at the white-shoe law firm, but I had a plan to go into the music industry.
As soon as I paid off my loans, I got a job as a lawyer at Sony Music. I was there for two years, and I did not love being a cog. I had been in New York City for 10 years at that time and was ready to try Los Angeles. I was also dating a guy in Los Angeles, and that was part of the reason that I moved — as I tell you that, I see the feminism seeping outside of my body, but that’s true.
When I got to L.A., I called all the lawyers I had negotiated against who were artists’ attorneys and met Peter Paterno. I got a job working for him [at the firm now known as King Holmes Paterno & Soriano] and told him that for one year I would service his clients, and then I would have all my own clients after that.
While that may seem like bravado, that came to fruition. I became a partner there after three years and practiced law there for nine years, representing artists. Then I met Steve Barnett, who was co-head of Columbia Records at the time. We negotiated against each other in a deal for Odd Future and Tyler, The Creator. He said, “You pantsed me in that deal, you pantsed Columbia in that deal. If I ever go somewhere else, you’re going to be my first hire.” And it happened. I was his first hire [when he became CMG CEO].
Yuri Hasegawa
How did he convince you to move to the label side?
I always dreamed of running a record label from when I was 12 years old. I didn’t know if it would ever happen because, quite frankly, I absolutely love representing artists and the artists that I had. When Steve approached me, believe me, I put him through the wringer. I asked him every hard-hitting question I could as I decided whether I could still be myself and be an artist advocate within the system.
Ultimately, I chose to make the transition for two reasons. No. 1: I felt like now, more than ever, artists and record labels need to partner with each other. And you need an artist advocate within the label in order for an artist to feel truly comfortable and at home. No. 2: I felt like I could make a bigger change at a record label than I could make being an artist attorney.
In your career, have you faced adversity or discrimination that your male counterparts haven’t?
Since I entered the music industry as a lawyer, I’ve been afforded a shield that many women in the music industry don’t have. Because of that I have been protected from a lot — because, quite frankly, people are afraid of lawyers.
But the reality is, when I started as a lawyer, I didn’t have that shield. In one of my first annual reviews at [my first law firm], I was wearing a white shirt. I’m someone who always wears black, and the partner giving me my review took his water bottle [and] sprayed it on me. You can imagine what he could see. Then he said, “All right, we’re ready for your review now.” At the time, I folded my arms and just plodded on and let him give me his review. I did nothing about it. I beat myself up to this day that I did nothing about it because I’m sure he then did that to multiple women after me. Now I will not be quiet when things like that happen around me.
This story will appear in the March 2, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Tom March has been named the new chairman/CEO of Capitol Music Group, and Lillia Parsa has been named co-president of the label group alongside co-president Arjun Pulijal, Interscope Geffen A&M chairman/CEO John Janick announced in a memo today (Feb. 7). The new leadership group was announced one day after previous CMG chair/CEO Michelle Jubelirer announced she was stepping down with immediate effect yesterday (Feb. 6).
March, who has spent the past two years as U.S. president of Geffen Records, becomes the fourth head of Capitol in the 2020s, after longtime label chief Steve Barnett retired at the end of 2020, then A&R veteran Jeff Vaughn led the label for less than a year before Jubelirer took over in December 2021. Prior to his stint at Geffen — which is the home to Olivia Rodrigo, and has a high-profile partnership with BTS and HYBE, among other artists — March was the co-president of Polydor Records in the U.K. for six years, where he helped develop Glass Animals and worked the Interscope roster in the U.K. In his new role, he’ll oversee Capitol Records, Blue Note Records, Motown Records, Astralwerks, Harvest Records and Capitol Christian Music Group, and report to Janick.
Parsa arrives at Capitol after six years at Universal Music Publishing Group, where she worked with the likes of recent best new artist Grammy nominees Ice Spice and Gracie Abrams, as well as Renee Rapp, Julia Michaels, Louis Bell, Omer Fedi and many more, with clients that worked on No. 1 Hot 100 songs like The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Ariana Grande’s “Positions” and more. Parsa will report to March and join Pulijal, who has been president of CMG since January 2022, as co-president. Both March and Parsa will be based at the Capitol Tower in Hollywood.
“I’ve worked closely with Tom for the better part of a decade, first as he looked after IGA repertoire in his role as co-president of Polydor in the U.K. and more recently in his position as president of Geffen,” Janick said in a statement. “He is a passionate and savvy executive who is a relentless advocate for artists and is committed to building successful executive teams. I know he will thrive in this important new role. Lillia is a gifted creative executive with very strong relationships throughout our business. I’ve personally gotten to know her over the years through artists we’ve signed together and via the amazing roster of songwriters she’s assembled at UMPG. I’m excited for her to take on this key position at Capitol, working alongside Arjun to continue to build a powerful platform for Capitol Music Group.”
These executive moves come amidst a broader restructuring happening at parent company Universal Music Group, which chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge announced in an internal memo last week. As part of that overhaul, Janick will now oversee Interscope, Geffen, Capitol, Motown, Priority, Verve and Blue Note, while Republic Records CEO Monte Lipman will oversee Republic, Def Jam, Island and Mercury. That memo also included a note that said, “In the coming weeks, John and Monte will be making further announcements about structure, resources and next-generation partnerships.” Jubelirer’s exit yesterday was the first exit since the announcement was made.
Jubelirer had been at Capitol for more than a decade, and had begun to turn around a recently-flagging label in her two years in charge: In 2023, Capitol racked up a 6.66% market share in the U.S., including a 5.90% current market share — which measures releases from the past 18 months — which was fifth among all labels for the full year. Both numbers were up significantly over her first year at the helm in 2022, when Capitol’s overall market share stood at 6.40% and current market share was 4.97%. That responsibility for the 80-year-old institution will now fall to March.
“I’m thrilled to be charged with leading Capitol Music Group,” March said in a statement. “The company’s deep legacy includes so many iconic artists and records that have long played important roles in my life, and the opportunity to help write CMG’s next chapter is a dream come true. I’m excited for Lillia to be joining me to define the creative direction of the company; she is spectacularly talented, and one of the most respected A&R executives in the business today.
“Together, we’ll work with Arjun and the brilliant CMG team to enhance the careers of artists on our current roster, as well of those who will be joining us in the future,” March continued. “John Janick and I have forged a great working relationship over the past decade, and it’s only become stronger with our amazing run at Geffen. That will absolutely intensify as we take CMG to the next level and share in even greater success together. I’m grateful to all of the artists at Geffen for their incredible music I’ve had the privilege to work on these past two years, and for the teams at Geffen and IGA who have been so supportive along the way.”
Capitol has a long history in the music business, having been the home of The Beatles, Bee Gees, ABBA, The Beach Boys, Nat King Cole and many iconic artists, and more recently the label for Katy Perry, Sam Smith, Maggie Rogers, Lewis Capaldi, Niall Horan, Toosii, Queen Naija, Ice Spice, Kodak Black and many more. Having been under the EMI Music umbrella for decades, Capitol was sold to Universal Music in 2012 in a $1.9 billion deal, after which it became a standalone frontline music group until this month, when it was shifted under Janick’s purview.
“I’m excited to be working with Tom to write the next creative chapter for Capitol Music Group; to work with an array of artists that currently call CMG home, as well as those that will be joining us in the near future,” Parsa said in a statement. “I’m also looking forward to working alongside Arjun as co-president of a company with such an illustrious and ongoing legacy. I thank John Janick for this great opportunity, and my longtime mentor [UMPG Chairman & CEO] Jody Gerson for always supporting me and encouraging this next important step in my career.”
Lloyd Starr has been appointed COO at Discogs, the recorded music database, marketplace and community, effective May 1. He joins the company from vinyl subscription service Vinyl Me, Please; prior to that, he served as president/COO at digital electronic music marketplace Beatport.
In his new role, Starr will oversee Discogs’ day-to-day operations, with a focus on driving growth and innovation. He will work closely with CEO Kevin Lewandowski and the rest of the executive team to develop and implement Discogs’ strategic direction.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Lloyd Starr to the Discogs team as our new COO,” said Lewandowski. “Lloyd’s extensive experience in the music industry and his track record of success in building and scaling companies make him an ideal addition to our leadership team. We’re confident that his expertise will help us continue to grow and innovate as we serve our community of music fans, record collectors, and sellers around the world.”
Starr added, “I’ve long admired the Discogs mission and its passionate community. I am thrilled to join such a talented and creative team to help realize our vision and continue to add value for vinyl and music lovers worldwide.”
Jon Kurland was named executive vp of business affairs and chief entertainment counsel at iHeartMedia. In his new role, Kurland will lead the company’s business affairs team and focus on deals and relationships with iHeart’s podcast, music, entertainment and new media partners. He will additionally oversee the company’s entertainment legal functions across podcasts, live events and new media initiatives as well as its music licensing strategy. Based in New York City, he will report to executive vp and general counsel Jordan Fasbender. Kurland joins iHeartMedia from Amazon, where he was senior corporate counsel in the global media and entertainment group.
Jen Ashworth was promoted to senior vp of commercial marketing & streaming at Capitol Music Group (CMG), up from her previous role as vp of global commercial marketing. In her new role, Ashworth will oversee the company’s streaming strategies across its portfolio of labels, with a focus on editorial and partner activations with Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube and Pandora. She will continue managing CMG’s relationship with Spotify as the company’s account lead. Based in Hollywood, she reports to CMG executive vp of global commercial marketing strategy Mike Sherwood.
Manager Jared Rosenberg joined Red Light Management, bringing clients Aly & AJ and Disney star Kylie Cantrall to the firm. Rosenberg has been in management for over 20 years, working with artists including Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson and Thirty Seconds to Mars.
Mateo Dorado joined Atlantic Records as senior director of A&R. The New York-based executive will work closely with emerging artists including Luh Tyler and Alicia Creti while reporting to Atlantic co-president of Black music Lanre Gaba. He arrives at Atlantic from Alamo Records, where he signed Rod Wave.
Jonathan McHugh joined independent music publishing, rights management and catalog marketing company AMR Songs as senior advisor of creative and synch. McHugh will also sit on the company’s board. Over a decades-long career, the industry veteran has served in roles at New Line Cinema (as vp of soundtrack music), Jive/BMG and Island Def Jam/Def Jam Films; he has produced 40 music-focused films and TV series and music-supervised 85 feature films and TV shows. In addition to his new role at AMR Songs, he will continue working as an independent producer/director and music supervisor while teaching a music industry studies class at Loyola University in New Orleans.
Amanda Tumulty was named vp of global marketing at Cinq Music Group. She joins the company from Universal Music Group, where she spent over five years on the global consumer marketing team, specializing in marketing strategy and operations. At Cinq, she will oversee all marketing strategies for the label/distributor’s roster and the Cinq Music brand. Tumulty can be reached at atumulty@cinqmusic.com.
Nashville-based record label Melody Place restructured and rebranded while elevating Sanborn McGraw to president/general manager and Tony Gottlieb to COO. Under the new leadership, the company will refocus its efforts on artist development, original material and international promotion. The first signing following the restructure is Nashville singer-songwriter Makena Hartlin, who signed a recording and publishing deal with Melody Place and its affiliate, Melody Place Publications. She will release her single, “LA,” on the label April 21. Melody Place is also working on a new project from singer Jackie Evancho. McGraw can be reached at sandy@melodyplace.com and Gottlieb can be reached at tony@melodyplace.com.
Global creative audio network Squeak E. Clean Studios hired music producer Jennie Armon as executive creative producer out of New York. She joins the company following seven years at Brooklyn-based music and sound company Found Objects, where she served as executive producer and music supervisor. Armon can be reached at jennie@squeakeclean.com.
Staff at Motown Records were hit with news of layoffs Thursday (Feb. 16) as the label gets reintegrated under the Capitol Music Group (CMG) umbrella, multiple sources tell Billboard. The number of people and departments affected are unknown as of press time.
A spokesperson for Motown Records confirmed the layoffs to Billboard. “As Motown returns to the Capitol family, certain positions that had been created when we became a stand-alone label have since become duplicative,” the person said in a statement. “These employees are leaving the company and our People, Inclusion and Culture department is helping them find new opportunities — either within or outside of UMG.”
Layoffs were feared by staffers since chairwoman/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam’s sudden announcement of her departure on Nov. 29, at which point the future of Motown — which had been spun out of the Capitol Music Group into a standalone label in March 2021, with Habtemariam promoted to the top title — was unclear. In the weeks that followed, it emerged that Motown would be consolidated once again into CMG, at which point the prospect of layoffs loomed.
Motown had been under the CMG umbrella since 2014 when Universal Music Group (UMG) dissolved the Island Def Jam Music Group and moved Motown to Los Angeles to operate out of the Capitol Tower. Habtemariam, who had been president of Motown since that year, oversaw the shift from New York to L.A. and in 2015 led the signing of Motown’s landmark partnership with Atlanta-based Quality Control, which brought Migos, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, City Girls and others to the label. That led to a surge in interest, signings and market share for Motown, resulting in the establishment of the label as a standalone frontline in 2021, with Habtemariam given the chairman/CEO title.
However, just 20 months after assuming that role, Habtemariam announced she was leaving UMG entirely to “pursue new endeavors,” departing a label that had been energized in recent years without a clear leader. As a standalone label, Motown maintained its own A&R and marketing departments, though it shared services such as radio promotion with Capitol.
CMG is run by Michelle Jubelirer, who was promoted from COO to chair/CEO in December 2021, succeeding Jeff Vaughn, who lasted just a year in the role. Jubelirer oversees a record group that also encompasses Blue Note, Astralwerks and Capitol Christian Music Group, in addition to Motown. While its market share remains under CMG, in September indie distributor Virgin was consolidated alongside Ingrooves and mTheory into the Virgin Music Group, whose co-CEOs report directly to UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge.
However, Capitol will not have Quality Control in its purview moving forward, as the label was sold to HYBE America in a deal that was announced Feb. 8. That means that while Capitol will oversee Motown, it will not have any future releases from some of Motown’s biggest stars of the past decade.
Motown is the latest music company to undergo layoffs in recent months, as the global economy’s outlook remains uncertain. The tech sector was hit particularly hard in that respect, with Amazon, Google/YouTube, Spotify, Twitter, SoundCloud, BMI and others shedding jobs; many cited the dwindling advertising market, which has stubbornly retracted. In October, Grainge himself addressed the advertising market’s downturn when speaking about UMG’s third quarter financials, noting that ad-supported streaming revenue grew slower than expected, up just 5.2% over the third quarter period of 2021, though it was offset by increases in other sectors such as subscription, licensing, tour merchandising and publishing.
In 2022, Motown had raised its overall market share to 0.97%, up from 0.90% in 2021. In terms of current market share — music released over the most recent 18 months — Motown grew its share from 1.18% in 2021 to 1.33% in 2022. It had remained part of Capitol’s market share during that period, despite its ostensible status as a standalone entity. Capitol’s overall market share declined from 6.81% in 2021 to 6.40% in 2022, while its current share dropped from 5.64% in 2021 to 4.97% in 2022.
Additional reporting by Gail Mitchell.
Sameen Singh was named chief strategy officer & chief digital officer at 88rising, reporting to CEO and founder Sean Miyashiro out of Los Angeles. Singh will lead global strategy, negotiate partnerships, further digital business development and shepherd inorganic growth in the role. He will also lead the development and implementation of strategic initiatives and commercial innovation. Singh comes to 88rising from Create Music Group, where he served as chief strategy officer for two years. He can be reached at sameen@88rising.com.
Capitol Music Group (CMG) has promoted six employees in its marketing departments. They are: Jessica Eason to vp of marketing for Capitol Records; Zoe Gillespie to vp of brand partnerships and strategy for CMG; Kate Haffenden to vp of international marketing for CMG; Chris Kershaw to vp of marketing for Capitol Records; Byron Miller to vp of commercial marketing, streaming strategy (urban) for CMG; and Alex Williams to vp of gaming strategy & business development for CMG. Eason can be reached at jessica.eason@umusic.com, Gillespie can be reached at zoe.gillespie@umusic.com, Haffenden can be reached at kate.haffenden@umusic.com, Kershaw can be reached at chris.kershaw@umusic.com, Miller can be reached at byron.miller@umusic.com and Williams can be reached at alex.williams5@umusic.com.
Kurt Deutsch was named senior vp at Warner Music Entertainment & Theatrical Ventures, a newly created role. Deutsch will oversee the development of new theatrical productions and investments while continuing to be a connector with songwriters, artists and catalogs via collaborations with Warner Chappell Music and the various Warner Music Group (WMG) labels. He will continue to work closely with songwriters he has signed or re-signed to Warner Chappell, including Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Joe Iconis, Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, Alan Menken, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Eddie Perfect and Shaina Taub. Deutsch, who has been with WMG since 2017, will continue to be based in New York and report to Warner Music Entertainment (WME) president Charles Cohen. The theatrical music label he founded, Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight, will continue as part of WMG’s portfolio of labels.
Universal Music Group (UMG) hired Alvaro Galbete-Velilla as senior vp of new business, a new role that will see him develop opportunities in the Web3 and metaverse sectors as well as other emerging areas of digital development for the label. He joins the company from SoundCloud, where he was director of business development. UMG also promoted Kristen Bender to senior vp of digital innovation strategy & business development; she will continue to play an important role in implementing digital business partnerships with UMG operating units and directing UMG’s engagement with entrepreneurs worldwide. Her previous title was senior vp of business development & strategy. Both executives are based in Los Angeles.
Rachel Chernoff was named senior vp of data science & analytics at Sony Music Entertainment (SME), a newly created role; she was previously senior vp of partner development at the company. Based in New York, Chernoff will lead a newly formed team that brings together the global digital business (GDB) group’s strategic analytics and data science functions to continue growing SME’s data capabilities across the globe. Chernoff will work in partnership with the SME partner development, global product and sales & analytics teams to enhance and develop analytic- and science-based tools, techniques and expertise supporting the needs of Sony Music’s labels and businesses around the world. She will also lead the evolution of SME’s data capabilities with external partners globally. She reports to Dennis Kooker, president of global digital business at SME.
BMG appointed Pierrot Raschdorff as senior director of global diversity, equity and inclusion out of Berlin. In the role, Raschdorff will be responsible for developing and accelerating BMG’s global DE&I goals, working with international teams across the company’s 12 core music markets. He joins from Penguin Random House — also a division of BMG’s parent company Bertelsmann — in Germany.
Beau Benton was promoted to senior vp of media & operations at Republic Records. Benton, who will oversee operations for Republic in Los Angeles in the new role alongside co-president Wendy Goldstein, will continue handling media strategy and orchestrating campaigns for Republic artists. He will also serve as the liaison for internal Los Angeles team communication overall.
Karl Skoog joined Amuse as CMO, tasking him with leading the Swedish music company’s marketing and communications teams with a focus on global growth. Skoog was previously CMO at both Fotografiska and NGO The Swedish Brain Foundation. He has also worked at Tele2 and EMI Music Publishing. Skoog can be reached at karl@amuse.io.
Range Media Partners hired Jared Cotter as vp of A&R and Federico Morris as director of A&R. Both will join vp of A&R Sam Drake in supporting Range Music’s management talent, label joint venture with Capitol Music Group/Virgin Music & Artist Label Services and Range Music Publishing. Colter arrives from his multi-faceted entertainment company The Heavy Group. He will continue to manage Bazzi and co-manage clients Rose Betts, Ben Kessler, Boston & Pat, Veyah and Jay Sean with Jeremy Skaller while working to expand Range’s roster of artists on the label side. Morris most recently served as publishing A&R and manager at Electric Feel Entertainment. Cotter can be reached at jcotter@rangemp.com and Morris can be reached at fmorris@rangemp.com.
PPL named Titania Altius as head of member services and Dan Millington as senior vp/head of client services. Altius will oversee the delivery of the member services team’s operational activity and build and foster productive working relationships with PPL’s key stakeholders and industry partners around the world to develop the organization’s neighboring rights collections and distribution service. Millington will lead PPL’s member relationship management and recruitment to its international collections service. Both Altius and Millington will report to chief membership & people officer Kate Reilly. Altius can be reached at titania.altius@ppluk.com and Millington can be reached at daniel.millington@ppluk.com.
Naomi Asher was named vp of songwriter services and neighbouring rights at Sony Music Publishing UK. In her new role, Asher will be the go-to contact for SMP UK’s catalog songwriters and clients and will be tasked with expanding opportunities and driving success for their songs both locally and internationally. She will also continue overseeing the company’s neighbouring rights division. She will remain in the company’s London office, reporting to SMP UK co-managing directors David Ventura and Tim Major.
Rhea Ghosh was promoted to chief marketing officer at copyright protection service Cosynd, where she will lead all marketing and communications initiatives and consumer brand strategy. She will also head up Cosynd’s advocacy efforts with its partner network, which includes CD Baby, A2IM, the Mechanical Licensing Collective, Repost by SoundCloud, Symphonic Distribution, BookBaby, DiscMakers, AdRev, Soundrop and BeatStars. She joined the company in 2020. Ghosh can be reached at rhea.ghosh@cosynd.com.
Artist manager Keith Hagan joined MNRK Music Group, bringing his clients The Afghan Whigs, Robert Finley, Cymande, Ondara, The Whitmore Sisters and The Mastersons to the company. Hagan will be based in New York, reporting to MNRK president & CEO Chris Taylor. He most recently founded and led Skylark Artist Management. Hagan can be reached at khagan@mnrk.com.
Kate Loesch was named senior director of creative at Kobalt. The Los Angeles-based executive will sign artists and writers and with the global creative roster at Kobalt. She arrives at the company from Capitol Records, where she served as director of A&R.
CAA promoted Kate Arenson and Ron Jordan to agents in the music touring department. Jordan will continue working with ARDN, Jean Deaux and tobi lou, among others. (via THR)
Glenn Briffa was named CFO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, effective immediately; he’s served as interim CFO since July. His responsibilities include overseeing the organization’s financial, information technology and office administration functions.
Arno Van Berkel was appointed managing director at Fruits Music, a music and tech company specializing in music playlist promotion. He started his new role on Jan. 23. Van Berkel — who joins Fruits Music from Warner Chappell Music, Benelux, where he served as managing director for 15 years — will be based at the company’s headquarters in Oosterhout, Netherlands and report to Fruits Music founder & CEO Stef Van Vugt.
Centricity Music hired three new employees: Tyler Osswald as digital marketing manager, Sarah Shinn as marketing manager of radio and Camy McCardle as senior manager of finance/business affairs.
Violinist/composer Curtis Stewart has been named artistic director at the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), effective immediately. Stewart will overlap with outgoing artistic director Derek Bermel, who is concluding his 10-year tenure but will remain on ACO’s board of directors. In the position, Stewart will be tasked with conceiving, curating, selecting and programming ACO performances, readings, recordings and other programs. He is also responsible for creating programming that expresses the ACO vision, developing and maintaining relationships with individual and institutional artistic partners and setting the artistic strategy for the organization in partnership with ACO president Melissa Ngan. He will additionally work with ACO director of artist equity Garrett McQueen to offer artistic oversight to the organization’s EarShot composer advancement initiatives. Stewart can be reached at curtis@americancomposers.org.
Full Coverage Communications named Melissa O’Toole as director and Avery Robinson as senior publicist in Los Angeles. O’Toole has worked at companies including 42West, Scoop Marketing and ID PR along with several talent agencies and record labels. Robinson joins from BECK Media & Marketing. The company also announced the signing of several new clients, including Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Kid Harpoon, The Kid LAROI, Little big Town, Michael Buble, Ozuna and TXT.
Universal Music Group (UMG) will expand its early career development program, Bonus Tracks, to Atlanta’s Frederick Douglass High School and through Motown Museum’s Hitsville NEXT in Detroit in the coming spring semester, the company tells Billboard. Last spring, UMG completed its first year in New York at Brooklyn’s Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH).
Bonus Tracks is dedicated to discovering and developing a diverse set of future executive talent by giving students in grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to learn about the music industry through immersive programming while being provided with transferrable skills. During the multi-week program, participants attend weekly meetings at a UMG label with executives from all areas of the company, including creative, marketing, commercial partnerships and promotion.
UMG has also created the Bonus Tracks Scholarship Award, a college scholarship that will be given to one Bonus Tracks student in each city who are recognized for their community leadership, commitment to academic excellence and completion of the program, including the presentation of their capstone project.
The Bonus Tracks program was launched in 2019 in partnership with Capitol Music Group (CMG) and the Compton Unified School District at Dominguez High School in Los Angeles. It later expanded to Nashville through Capitol Christian Music Group and Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School. It was founded by Brian Nolan, executive vp and executive vp of marketing at Motown; Patrick Stephens, manager of brand partnerships at CMG; and Micah Ali, president emeritus of the Compton School District.
“We’re excited to see Bonus Tracks continue to expand and look forward to bringing the program to students in Detroit and Atlanta,” said Nolan. “We knew Bonus Tracks could thrive and scale in the most meaningful ways in order to reach the next generation of music industry leaders. I am grateful to Micah Ali for his partnership in this incredible journey and to UMG for fully embracing and supporting the vision of the program: inspiration, education, and pathway.”
“Bonus Tracks has always been about giving students the opportunity to learn about career pathways in a way that meets their passion for music and curiosity about the industry,” added Ali. “As this program moves into its fifth year, I’m incredibly honored to continue to expand this program to reach students across the country.”
“Motown Museum’s Hitsville NEXT is devoted to supporting creativity in today’s young artists, entrepreneurs and changemakers,” said Robin Terry, chairwoman and CEO of the Motown Museum. “Partnering with Bonus Tracks is a perfect reflection of our mission. We can’t wait to work with the entire Detroit Public School system and grow this great program in our community.”
“With Atlanta being the music capital of the south, Frederick Douglass High School has produced some of the most famous music industry icons such as T.I., Lil Jon, and Killer Mike, to name a few, said Erika Y. Mitchell, a school board member of Atlanta Public Schools. “Bonus Tracks will create pathways for our students to learn about the music industry’s business, provide mentorships with music executives, and allow our students post-graduation to have access to internships at Universal Music Group or receive a scholarship toward college.”
Mitchell added that she’s “looking forward to expanding” the Bonus Tracks program to Atlanta’s Benjamin E. Mays High School “in the near future.”
“It is critically important for UMG to provide early career opportunities as an investment in the future of this industry, both from a business and fan perspective,” said Natoya Brown, senior vp of people inclusion and culture at UMG. “Bonus Tracks is a way to begin discovering and cultivating the next generation of music industry leaders.”
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