Peermusic
Well, wouldn’t you know, it’s another Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business. There’s a full slate of news this week, so let’s get started.
Peermusic expanded Elizabeth Rodda‘s role to president of US Latin, Latin America and global society relations. Reporting to CEO Mary Megan Peer, Rodda will now oversee Latin initiatives and new signings in the US and Puerto Rico, as well as her prior remit in South America, Mexico and Central America. The US Latin creative team will report to Rodda, who remains based in Miami. She’ll also represent Peermusic to global collection societies, optimizing revenue growth and rights flow for songwriters. Rodda will manage Peermusic’s offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, and administer territories including Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay. She collaborates with local managing directors to sign new talent and oversee digital and synch activities. Recent signings include Vladi Cachai, Foudeqush and NanQ, among others. With over 20 years of experience, Rodda previously served as ASCAP’s senior vp of international affairs before joining Peermusic as president of Latin America and GSR in 2023. Pre-ASCAP, Rodda gained footing in music publishing and licensing at Planet Records and Caribe Sound and Music Publishing, and she also worked as an independent consultant.
CEO Peer praised Rodda’s development of Latin operations, “supporting the creative work and growing the income of peermusic songwriters throughout the region,” adding that “in expanding her role to lead our US Latin initiatives, we are recognizing the close ties between the US Latin and Latin American and increasing the opportunities for our Latin writers globally.”
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Meanwhile…
Round Hill Music hired Jeff Bunder as its global chief financial officer and James King as its chief capital officer. Bunder, based in Nashville, has nearly 40 years of private equity experience, including leadership roles at EY and Lindsay Goldberg. He’ll oversee finance, accounting, tax, valuation and investor relations at RHM. Londoner King joins from Cavendish and has clocked over 25 years of corporate finance and private equity experience. He will focus on expanding RHM’s investor base in the UK and Europe. Round Hill, which sold off its public fund to Concord in 2023, continues to operate its private fund, Round Hill Music Royalty Partners, in which it has limited partners like the Swiss-based private equity fund Partners Group. Round Hill’s portfolio of roughly 200,000 is worth an estimated $900 million and includes rights to songs performed by Whitney Houston, Bruno Mars, Morgan Wallen, Madonna and more, according to the company.
The Apollo appointed Joy Profet as chief growth officer and Tysus Jackson as chief development officer, expanding its executive team amid a historic theater renovation. Profet, formerly a product marketing lead at Amazon Prime Video Advertising, will work to boost global impact, brand influence and revenue partnerships. Jackson, most recently assistant director of advancement at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will lead philanthropic efforts, including the Apollo Rising 2.0 campaign. Apollo president and CEO Michelle Ebanks praised their expertise, “from Joy’s innovative business approach and growth mindset, to Tysus’ exceptional ability to inspire and mobilize donors around worthy causes.”
Electric Feel, the multi-dimensional music company (not to be confused with the MGMT banger), recently expanded its global presence to Nashville. The company, which encompasses management, publishing, a record label, studios and a ventures wing, celebrated this expansion with a launch event at their new state-of-the-art studio in Music City on Thursday, March 13. Key executives involved in the opening include Austin Rosen, CEO; Danielle Engen, director of facilities and studios; Nick McMullen, chief engineer and technical director; Chandler Nicole Sherrill, senior director of creative; and John Bradley, country A&R.
AEG Presents announced a slew of senior vice president promotions within its global partnership division, following Andrew Klein’s appointment as president of global partnerships. Andrew Bersch has been promoted to svp of finance and administration, where he’ll oversee financial strategy and operations. Holli Branam, Bret Heiman and Alex McArthur have been elevated to svp of sales, leading efforts to drive sponsorship revenue and create brand partnerships across AEG venues and festivals, including Coachella and Stagecoach. Samantha Fernandez was named svp of festival activations, managing over 350 brand partnerships across 15 music festivals annually, while Brianne Grimley is now svp of venue activations, overseeing regional and national strategic partnerships within AEG’s North American network. Finally, Eric Kohler has been upped to svp of global partnerships, leading AEG’s American Express partnership. Klein praised “this group of industry leading individuals,” adding, “they have each been instrumental in helping grow and innovate with our family of global partners and music assets.”
Abas Pauti, co-manager of Shaboozey and Paul Russell, joined Range Music as a full-time manager and vp of artist development earlier this year. After graduating from Mizzou in 2020, Pauti headed out West to Los Angeles where he met one Collins Chibueze (aka Shaboozey), resulting in Shaboozey’s project Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die, which blends western, Americana and hip-hop. Shortly after, in 2022, Pauti discovered Cornell grad Paul Russell and a year later partnered with Range Music’s Jared Cotter to co-manage both Russell and Shaboozey. Together, Pauti and Cotter have helped Shaboozey and Russell deliver breakout hits with the former’s record-tying 19-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” and the latter’s viral hit “Lil Boo Thang,” which tipped at No. 14 on the big pop chart.
Jim Ryan, Audacy’s senior vp of programming and lead programmer at NEW 102.7 (WNEW-FM) in NYC, will leave the company in April to focus on his consultancy, Jim Ryan Media, full-time. Originally planning to depart in December, he extended his tenure due to Nielsen’s new three-minute qualifier rule. April marks his 15th anniversary at Audacy. Ryan, known for programming stations like WLTW, WNEW, and WCBS-FM, solidified his reputation as a top radio programmer. He will continue working with national radio personality Delilah and other talents. Ryan praised colleagues Susan Larkin and Chris Oliviero for their support and confirmed his successor — whom he helped pick — will be announced soon. He expressed confidence in passing the baton to a respected industry professional. You can reach him at him at Jim@JimRyanMedia.com.
David Fanning launched Off Road Records in partnership with Reservoir Media with expressed goals to empower music creators and develop sustainable careers. Fanning serves as president, with Jamie Graves as svp of marketing and promotion. The Nashville-based label has signed its first artist, singer-songwriter Dylan Davidson, who released his debut single, “Wine Night,” today (March 14). O Double R will distribute and market music through Reservoir’s label platform, Reservoir Recordings, which will also provide additional label services. Reservoir president Rell Lafargue praised Fanning’s ability to identify rising talent — “and drive it straight to the top.” He added, “This investment is also a great opportunity to continue growing Reservoir’s recorded music business together with creators we believe in.”
Universal Music UK made some tweaks to its artist relations team. Led by Shiarra Bell, with Hannah Lamb and Ali Golembo, the team will work closely with artists, managers, UMG labels, and the wider company to offer multifaceted support, including bespoke events, well-being programs and other artist-centric experiences. Shiarra Bell, promoted to director of artist relations, has a diverse background in music management and events, working with artists like Eminem and Lady Gaga. Hannah Lamb, now head of artist relations, has been with the team for 10 years, starting as an intern. Ali Golembo, promoted to artist relations manager, began as a promotions intern at EMI. The team will report to Rebecca Allen, president of the audience and media division at Universal Music UK, who now oversees artist relations. “With Shiarra at the helm, and Hannah and Ali by her side, this future-facing team are set to bring a new level of creativity and support to our artists and label teams,” said Allen.
BOARD SHORTS: Universal Music Group announced that non-executive director Manning Doherty will retire from its board of directors on March 21. The board acknowledged his valuable contributions since joining in 2021. Doherty, managing director at GIC, leads the Infrastructure Group (North America) and has extensive experience in equity research, private equity and special situation investing. Previously, he held senior roles at Mount Kellett Capital and Oaktree Capital Management … AMPOLLO, the newly launched music collaboration platform, announced an advisory board featuring top industry figures, including Andy Saunders, Emily White, Colin Barlow, Karl Nielsen and Charlie Rapino. Chaired by Saunders, the board will support co-founders CEO Yoram Ben-Israel, CMO Mark Alexiou, and Rebekah Pennington in expanding AMPOLLO’s international presence, driving innovation, and developing new revenue streams through fan engagement.
Universal Music Australia announced key leadership changes at BRING, its creative agency specializing in connecting brands with music culture. Brooke Pilton has been promoted to general manager of partnerships, while James “Griff” Griffiths has been elevated to general manager of creative. These appointments aim to strengthen BRING’s role in aligning brands with artists and music culture. CEO Sean Warner praised their “shared vision for the future of the agency.” BRING has executed successful campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola and Vodafone, earning multiple Clio Music awards. The agency will continue to develop creative partnerships, supporting UMA’s artists and promoting Australian music on a global scale.
AWAL appointed Aniket Parpillewar as head of India & South Asia, based in Mumbai. Parpillewar will lead efforts to empower independent artists in the region, offering services like marketing, sync licensing, promotion, distribution and real-time music analytics. He joins from Amazon India and will report to Paul Hitchman, AWAL’s COO, and Vinit Thakkar, managing director of Sony Music Entertainment India. Following its 2023 acquisition of OKListen, AWAL is fast-expanding in India with support from Sony Music Entertainment India, with new signings including Zanai Bhosle, Anumita Nadesan, Dino James and others. CEO Lonny Olinick highlighted AWAL’s global outlook and the significant step in extending their model to artists in India and South Asia, adding that “Aniket brings a wealth of music experience in the Indian market to the AWAL team and has hit the ground running.”
NASHVILLE NOTES: Public relations company Sacks & Co. promoted Catherine Snead to senior director in its Nashville office. The firm also touted the mid-2024 hire of Jessica Vandergriff as an associate. Snead moved to Nashville in 2017 and began working with Sacks & Co.’s roster of artists, while Vandergriff moved to Music City in 2020, working at Post Hill Press, followed by a stint at 117 Entertainment … Black River Publishing elevated Sarah Hudspeth from coordinator to creative manager … Peachtree Entertainment added two executives: Marty Elliott joined as vp of university relations following a run at Ready Room Collective, and Andrew Goldberg took over as vp of strategic partnerships following his work at Danny Wimmer Presents.
Mike Sherwood, a veteran of the majors, launched Sparks Street Entertainment, a new music management and consultancy company. With over 25 years of experience, Sherwood aims to empower artists, managers and labels in the global music market. Sherwood’s career includes key positions at Warner Music Group, where he worked with legendary artists like Green Day, Tom Petty, and Linkin Park, and helped launch stars like Dua Lipa and Zach Bryan. Most recently, he served as executive vp at Universal Music Group’s Capitol Records, supporting successful campaigns for artists such as The Beatles, Katy Perry, Sam Smith and Ice Spice.
Pieter van Bodegraven joined CTM Publishing as a creative consultant in early February. With decades of experience in the Benelux music publishing industry, he’s worked with major artists, composers and producers through roles at BMG/Talpa Music, Cloud 9 Music, and more. Van Bodegraven said he values CTM’s “atmosphere and mindset” in their handling of copyright administration and royalty distribution. Jitze de Raaff, president of CTM Publishing, praised Van Bodegraven’s extensive knowledge, experience and “extraordinary” national and international network.
PRG, a provider of concert production elements, announced key promotions within its corporate events division. Matt Hohmann has been promoted to senior director of production services, recognizing his contributions to process enhancement and operational excellence since starting as a lighting intern. Additionally, Eric Hanson, Justin Juriga, Wendy Coop, James Oyler and Walker Harris have been appointed as new technical directors. Reporting to Ariane Coldiron, PRG’s senior vp of corporate events, the team will work closely with external partners and internal stakeholders to ensure PRG’s solutions align with project needs, enhancing collaboration and efficiency.
Viamedia, the digital and cable advertising company, promoted Justin Johnston to senior vp of finance following the retirement of Sherri Bradshaw. Johnston, who joined Viamedia in 2023 as assistant controller and later became controller, will oversee financial operations. Johnston previously worked at Blackhawk Mining in financial analysis and spent six years at Breeding Henderson & Hord conducting audits. Viamedia recently became the first U.S. ad sales firm to represent over 100 video service providers.
ICYMI:
SiriusXM
SiriusXM thinned its ranks with a new round of layoffs, primarily in the company’s product and technology group. The satellite radio giant did not specify the number of employees affected … OpenPlay hired former Dubset Media exec Bob Barbiere to lead a new service offering … ARIA COO Lynne Small will step down next month … and surprise! the landscape for top music executives remains overwhelmingly white and male, according to a new report by USC. [Keep Reading]
Last Week’s Turntable: SiriusXM Changes Ad Wizards
Florentino Primera, of the iconic Venezuelan brother duo Servando y Florentino, has signed a global publishing and neighboring rights deal with peermusic Publishing and peermusic Neighboring Rights, Billboard has learned.
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The agreement comes on the heels of Primera — who started his career alongside his brother in the 90s kids salsa group Salserín — appearing onstage at the Monumental Simón Bolívar de La Rinconada Stadium with Karol G on March 22. The Colombian star brought out the siblings as surprise guests during her stadium show in Caracas, Venezuela where they performed “De Sol a Sol.” Primera is also working on his upcoming new album.
“Writing songs has become one of the most fulfilling things in my life,” Primera said in a statement. “To be able to do it in company of some of the biggest names in salsa music, with some of the greatest to ever do it, is a dream come true. I’m honored to officially become a part of their family.”
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After branching out from Salserín, the brothers formed the duo that achieved six entries on Hot Latin Songs, including their No. 1 hit “Una Fan Enamorada” in 1998, part of their debut album Los Primera.
After a successful run in the 90s, the duo had a comeback in 2021 with two streaming concerts that marked their return to music. That year, they also released “Los Cachos” with Guaynaa. Meanwhile, Florentino also has songwriting credits in Marc Anthony’s “El Que Te Amaba,” part of his Grammy-winning album Pa’lla Voy.
“We are thrilled to welcome Florentino to the peermusic family and to represent his works as part of the iconic duo Servando y Florentino including the new music that is to come, as well as a performer on part of the peermusic Neighboring Rights family,” said Julio Bagué, vice president Latin division east coast and Puerto Rico at peermusic. “We are so impressed with his trajectory as both a songwriter and performer, and his commitment to the Latin music genre. Everyone at peermusic is beyond honored that he has chosen us to represent him.”
According to a press release, the deal was negotiated by Matthew Limones, founder of Prediction Enterprises, a rights management and business development firm, and and Nicolas Gonzalez, the company’s chief operations officer.
“This is exactly what I envisioned for a star client of ours. To find a home that we know understands his trajectory and can help guide him into the next chapter of his iconic career,” Limones noted. Gonzalez added, “We are so happy for Florentino and his future success at Peer. We know he will continue to make an impact in the genre with a great team.”
Primary Wave Music has acquired Skillet‘s music publishing interests as well as their recorded music royalties across five of their critically acclaimed albums, released from 2003-2016, in a multi-million dollar deal. Some of their biggest hits include “Whispers in the Dark,” “Awake and Alive,” “Feel Invincible,” “Monster,” “Hero,” and “The Resistance.”
Big Yellow Dog Music has signed BSAMZ (Brandon Sammons) to its publishing roster. With more than a decade of experience as a co-writer with artists like Lady Gaga, Kygo, Bryce Vine, Adam Lambert, Culture Club, Sam Feldt and many more, BSAMZ is still continuing to write hits, most recently with K-Pop group Girls’ Generation’s “You Think” off of their No. 1 album Lion Heart.
Reservoir has signed singer, rapper, and songwriter Armani White to his first-ever global publishing deal. The agreement entails both the artists’ back catalog and future works, including his viral hit “BILLIE EILISH” which reached No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Peermusic has signed singer-songwriter Alejo to an exclusive worldwide publishing deal. The deal encompasses all of the Puerto Rican artist’s catalog, including his new album El Favorito de las Nenas, released on May 4. The deal also includes his hit songs “Pantysito” with Feid and Robi; “Un Viaje” alongside Karol G, Jotaerre and Moffa; “Volar” by Wisin, Chris Andrew ft. Los Legendarios; and “Estrella” with boy band CNCO.
Warner Chappell Music has signed a global publishing deal with Canada-based country act Josh Ross. Named a Spotify Hot Country Artist to Watch for 2023, Ross has been building his profile with key opening slots, supporting talent like Bailey Zimmerman Nickelback, Lee Brice, Chase Rice, Brantley Gilbert.
Wise Music Group has signed a deal with DJ and producer Ron Trent. With almost 30 years of experience in the dance/electronic space, Trent first became acclaimed as a DJ with the release of Altered States at age 15. Under his new project WARM, Trent is still continuing to release enduring electronic works.
Peermusic has signed production and songwriting team, The Stereotypes (Jonathan Yip and Jeremy Reeves), to a worldwide publishing administration deal. The Stereotypes have made their mark on the music industry by penning hits like “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars, “Please Me” by Cardi B and Bruno Mars, “Somebody to Love” by Justin Bieber ft. Usher, “Better” by Lil Yachty, and “After Last Nite” by Silk Sonic (with Thundercat and Bootsy Collins), and Yip says of their new peermusic partnership that he “immediately realized [peermusic] was aligned with our vision.”
The indie publisher has also signed singer, songwriter and producer Alex Anwandter to an exclusive, worldwide co-publishing deal. The deal with peermusic marks the first music publishing deal for the Latin pop artist and encompasses his entire catalog as well as future works, according to the company. The Chilean multi hyphenate is set to release his new album, El Diablo En El Cuerpo, on May 26. It will feature singles such as “Qué Piensas Hacer Sin Mi Amor?” and “Maricoteca.”
Sony Music Publishing Nashville has renewed is publishing agreement with Lindsay Rimes, a songwriter and producer who co-created “Whiskey on You” by Nate Smith and “Heaven” by Kane Brown. Rimes has also worked with Troye Sivan, Kylie Minogue, Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Phillip Phillips, Dylan Scott, LoCash, The Cadillac Three, Tyler Rich, Canaan Smith and The Shires. “I couldn’t be more excited about continuing my journey with the Sony family,” says Rimes of the renewed deal.
Warner Chappell has partnered with Song Sleuth, a startup designed to find “undiscovered” royalties from user-generated content and derivative works, specifically using their tool UGSeeker. Song Sleuth describes this as “the first of a number of major deals that are currently in the pipeline.”
Connection Music Publishing has signed a new agreement with indie pop singer-songwriter Hayes Warner, fresh off the release of his songs “Shut Up” and “Airport.” The rising talent will perform at SXSW and as an opener for Lewis Capaldi. Connection Music Publishing is an indie publishing house, founded in early 2021 by Daniel Glass, founder and president of Glassnote Records, and Chris Scully, general manager and CFO of Glassnote Records.
Michael Knox has been promoted to president of peermusic Nashville. Knox, who joined the company in 2010, previously served as senior vp of peermusic Nashville.
Under Knox’s guidance, peermusic Nashville published the 2016 SESAC country song of the year, Dierks Bentley‘s “Somewhere on a Beach,” co-written by Michael Tyler and Jaron Boyer, as well as the 2013 ASCAP country music song of the year, Randy Houser‘s “How Country Feels” (co-written by Neil Thrasher and Vicky McGehee). Other peermusic Nashville publishing highlights include Jason Aldean‘s “Rearview Town,” Jon Pardi‘s “Ain’t Always The Cowboy,” Cole Swindell‘s “Love You Too Late,” Riley Green‘s “There Was This Girl” and Dustin Lynch‘s “Hell of a Night.”
“In the 12 years that he has been with peermusic, Michael Knox has distinctively guided our Nashville office song by song, hit by hit, resulting in major impact for our roster of songwriters,” said Kathy Spanberger, president/COO peermusic, via a statement. “Knox is one of the most prolific publishers and music producers in Nashville with an extraordinary amount of production credits to his name, but it’s his thoughtful approach, quick humor, and devotion to our music creators that really draws people to want to build their careers with peermusic Nashville. Knox is delivering career-making opportunities for our writers.”
“For over 94 years, the Peers have been widely considered the first family of country music publishing with a history of delivering ‘firsts’ in the industry,” Knox added. “I jumped at the invitation to be a part of this publishing team 12 years ago and to work alongside some of the best and most trusted music publishers in the business. The important legacy that we’re building upon here in Nashville, our commitment to continue delivering ‘firsts’ for songwriters, and the genuine connections we have with our peermusic writers is something that I’m flat-out proud to be a part of. I’m thankful to Kathy, Mary Megan Peer, Ralph Peer II, and our peermusic team for this opportunity.”
In addition to his work leading peermusic Nashville, Knox is an accomplished producer known for his longtime work with Aldean and others. Knox topped Billboard’s Top Country Producers chart for the first time last year (notching his 13th year earning Top 10 Country Producers honors) after the release of the Aldean/Carrie Underwood collaboration “If I Didn’t Love You,” which Knox solely produced. The song stayed atop the Billboard Country Airplay chart for three weeks, and earned single of the year honors at the 57th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The song is nominated for music event of the year at the upcoming 56th annual Country Music Association awards.
Knox’s production credits have contributed to over 55 million singles and 30 million albums sold, including songs recorded by Thomas Rhett (“It Goes Like This”), Trace Adkins (“Just Fishin’”), Kelly Clarkson and Aldean (“Don’t You Wanna Stay”), Aldean, Luke Bryan and Eric Church (“The Only Way I Know”), Montgomery Gentry (“Where I Come From”) and more. He also co-produced “The Wrong Song,” featuring Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere with T Bone Burnett for the television show Nashville.
Prior to joining peermusic, Knox opened the song plugging company Hit Pluggers in 1991. From 1992 until 2002, Knox served as a vice president at Warner Chappell, responsible for writer and artist development and song placements. He signed and oversaw writers and catalogs including Aldean, John Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Emily West, Jeff Stevens, Steve Bogard, Marv Green, Terry McBride, Wendell Mobley, and Dave Loggins. Knox has previously served on the ACM Board of Directors and the CMA Board of Directors.
Additionally, Knox is a label exec with the Music Knox Records imprint with BBR Music Group/BMG. He signed Tim Montana to the label in 2020. He also launched the nationally syndicated radio show Knox Country 360, which he serves as host and producer on. Earlier this year, Knox became a first-time ACM national weekly on-air personality of the year, alongside co-host Shalacy Griffin.
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