Record Labels
Page: 36
Warner Music Group has launched the Warner Music Space, a new hub headquartered in Rio de Janeiro that will house Warner Music Brazil, Warner Chappell Music Brazil and ADA Brazil operations. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The newly-inaugurated collaborative space, located in Barra da Tijuca in […]
BMG is reshuffling its deck in North America as the independent music powerhouse “doubles down” on its commitment to the world’s biggest music market.
Leading the changes is Jon Loba, who rises from BMG Nashville president to become president Frontline Recordings, North America. Moving forward, Loba is responsible for BMG’s entire North American frontline records business across Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Canada.
The realignment continues with new duties for Thomas Scherer, until now running publishing and recordings activities in Los Angeles and New York. Scherer is named as head of global recorded catalog, while retaining responsibility for publishing, North America.
Now, Loba, Scherer and CFO Joe Gillen form BMG’s North American leadership triumvirate.
“We are making good on our promise to double down on our U.S. operation with a distinctive new approach,” comments BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld, that is, an integrated frontline operation “spanning the whole of North America plus a global catalog business steered from Los Angeles.”
BMG, he continues, “is stepping up. This is an integral part of our new strategy to deliver for artists and songwriters and go for growth.”
Loba, who joined BMG in 2017, when the company acquired Nashville-based BBR Music Group, is rewarded for delivering BMG its first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town,” and achieving success with Jelly Roll.
Loba, explains Coesfeld, is “the ideal person to take responsibility for our L.A.-based recordings business” as the group evolves in the streaming era.
A company stalwart, Scherer joined BMG in 2008, moving to L.A. as executive vp of global writer services in 2014, and enjoying several promotions thereafter.
“He is the ideal person to lead our new streaming-first global catalog operation based in Los Angeles, while also retaining oversight of our important U.S. music publishing business, the backbone of BMG’s U.S. operation,” Coesfeld says of Scherer. “With Thomas at the helm of our Global Catalog Recorded organization, BMG will step up its investments in catalog.”
The changes, announced today (Jan. 25), come six months after Coesfeld was appointed as CEO, succeeding the retiring CEO Hartwig Masuch.
Coesfeld’s “energetic and strategic approach to the business has been very inspirational for all of us, because that’s the way our Nashville team runs,” comments Loba in a statement. “I’m looking so forward to working even closer with our staff throughout North America and as important, helping bring the visions of our amazing artists to life.”
Following his promotion to the top job in July, Coesfeld wasted no time in reshaping the company to maximize growth and capture opportunities. Among the changes announced to staff last November, a new global catalog team based in Los Angeles; a “recalibration” of its presence in continental Europe in line with the new local-global emphasis, which will involve focusing on “functional centers of excellence within Europe,” as well as aggregation of budgets and expertise; a further acceleration of its investments in tech and its myBMG system for artists; and the clarification of roles and structures that the company says will make it “more accountable to its artist and songwriter clients.”
The changes didn’t end there. BMG ended its distribution agreement with the Warner Music Group’s ADA and brought its digital distribution in-house, while striking a deal with the Universal Music Group for its physical distribution; formed direct deals with Spotify and Apple Music; and “a number of existing positions” were made redundant – with some 40 staffers let go, Billboard reported.
“We are changing the way we do things,” Coesfeld said in a statement at the time. “We will combine creative intuition with data-driven insights to deliver the best service for our clients and customers.”
Few stories have captivated the past couple of months like that of Tyla, the young South African singer whose single, “Water,” emerged as a sultry blend of Afrobeats and R&B and exploded across the globe. The song first debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in October — her first appearance on the chart — and quickly took off from there. It almost immediately reached the top of the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart — where it has spent 14 weeks at No. 1 — and climbed all the way to No. 7 on the Hot 100, where it has spent the past two weeks. It has also been sitting comfortably at No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for eight weeks.
It’s a true breakout story for the artist, who also saw “Water” land a Grammy nomination in the brand-new category of best African music performance at the upcoming awards this February — not to mention a testament to the work of her management and her team at Epic Records, where she signed in 2021. The song began picking up organically, got a lift off a TikTok challenge and catapulted onto radio, picking up remixes from Travis Scott and Marshmello along the way. And the song’s success so far earns Epic Records president Ezekiel Lewis the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Lewis breaks down how “Water” erupted onto the global stage, the multiple genre influences that went into its final version and how the singer can build on the song’s success leading into her debut album, which is due out in the next few months. “From the beginning of the record-making process, we made it a point to find the best chemistry between creatives from different backgrounds to reflect the worldly influences you hear in the song,” Lewis says. “That is a key factor in enabling it to appeal to audiences not only in the U.S. but across the globe.”
This week, Tyla’s “Water” spent its second week at No. 7 on the Hot 100, its 14th week at No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs and was certified platinum by the RIAA. What key decision(s) did you make to help make that happen?
The story starts with the creation of the song. I feel like a big part of our job is to curate an environment that creates an opportunity for magic to happen. Consider the fact that the four key writers of the song had never worked together as a collective before Tyla. From the beginning of the record-making process, we made it a point to find the best chemistry between creatives from different backgrounds to reflect the worldly influences you hear in the song. That is a key factor in enabling it to appeal to audiences, not only in the U.S. but across the globe.
“Water” blends an Afrobeats/Amapiano drum pattern with more traditional R&B elements, combining a number of different styles. Why do you think it was able to break through in such a big way?
The song not only has elements of Afrobeats but also more specifically Amapiano which is integral to the music culture of South Africa. While the wider Afrobeats influence is obvious, the use of the log drum by Sammy Soso is key to tying in that specific South African element. Then moving on to the top line, the lyric and melody, R&B and pop dominate in terms of influence there. We really hit a sweet spot in terms of multiple influences coming together seamlessly. There’s something for everyone.
The song has also done very well at radio, with eight straight weeks at No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. What was the strategy there and how has it paid off?
Once we accomplished a strong Shazam, digital and streaming story, the stage was set for radio to follow through. The audience talked back loudly and let us know it wanted to hear more and more of the record. The song’s gains at playlists across multiple genres gave us a strong sense that radio would be able to replicate that success, and that we could have a chart topper across multiple formats. Once all of the indicators pointed upward, we went for it, and thankfully we were correct in doing so.
The song was also boosted relatively early on with remixes from Travis Scott and Marshmello. How have remixes fit into your strategy, and what has been the payoff?
When thinking about remixing the song, we did not want to significantly compromise the implicit nature of the track by doing something simply to gain more audience. Authenticity is sometimes hard to articulate, but you know it once you press play and begin to listen. Travis came to the table organically, as a fan of the song, and wanted to join. We knew immediately that it would make sense creatively and would only add to the prominence of the track. Travis is a preeminent curator himself, so the vote of confidence was welcomed. His involvement gave listeners a different take on a song that they had already embraced.
Similarly, and maybe less obvious, was Marshmello, who also was a fan of the song and asked if he could do a remix. Once we heard how he re-imagined the track, we were excited to have him join us. His version has definitely given the track wings in the dance space and helped to take it further with additional streaming in that world. All of this cross-pollination has helped the track ascend the Billboard Hot 100.
So far, music from African artists has mostly broken through singles in the U.S. How do you plan to keep Tyla’s momentum going through to releasing a full album?
We will continue to build on Tyla’s momentum by keeping African culture at the center of what we do musically and creatively overall. There is a sonic consistency that listeners will hear across this first project and we expect this to go over well with the new fan base that she has developed. There is already a nearly completely sold-out tour scheduled in both Europe and the U.S. Also, her new track, “Truth Or Dare,” is showing early signs of greatness as we build daily and sits in the top five of both the U.S. and U.K. Afrobeats charts.
The song also earned a Grammy nomination in the first-ever best African music performance category. What do you see as the future of African music in the U.S. moving forward, both from a musical perspective and an industry perspective?
The sky is the limit for African music in the U.S., as I foresee continued cross-pollination to move it forward. It has proven its potential to top charts in urban, pop, and even in the dance space. It simply cannot be ignored and the Recording Academy has made an intelligent and timely decision. I could not be more excited for the future. Everyone wants a piece of the action.
Music executives Ángel del Villar and Javier “El Tamarindo” González have joined forces to launch a new distribution company, DSTRO7. Del Villar’s indie label, DEL Records, will be exclusively distributed by DSTRO7, as will González’s Tamarindo Rekordsz, which he founded in 2012. According to a press release, the company will focus on music streaming, monetization, […]
Alvaro Rizo has been named Gaira Música Local’s new MD, the company tells Billboard. Rizo will be based in the record label’s headquarters in Bogotá, Colombia. The label, which was founded in 1993 by Carlos Vives, is rooted in highlighting Colombia’s musical heritage with a roster that includes artists such as Gusi, Estereo Beat and […]
Nashville-based Big Loud, home to artists including Morgan Wallen and HARDY, has revealed a joint venture with Nashville-based indie modern rock label Severance Records.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Former Elektra Entertainment co-president Mike Easterlin, along with former Atlantic Records GM/senior vp of A&R Steve “Stevo” Robertson, serve as co-presidents of Severance Records. The new label launches with flagship signing Dexter and The Moonrocks, who are booked by WME’s Mike Krug, and managed by Lion’s Claw Entertainment’s Chris Schoemann, and Joe Greenwald (Marketing & Promotion).
“Stevo and I could not be more excited to be joining the Big Loud family,” Easterlin said in a statement. “(Big Loud Partners) Seth (England), Joey (Moi), Craig (Wiseman), and (Big Loud Rock / Big Loud Management Partner + President) Greg (Thompson) have been so supportive from the first time we met about building this partnership together. Watching the company that Big Loud has become in the country space only drives Stevo and I to want to make Severance Records the same kind of force in the alternative space. Our goal is to be rooted in Nashville, but global in vision.”
Prior to his work as co-president of Elektra, Easterlin had worked as president and GM at two of the company’s labels – Fueled By Ramen and Roadrunner Records. His career also includes roles at Virgin Records and Island Def Jam. Along the way, he’s worked with artists including Smashing Pumpkins, Lenny Kravitz, Nickelback, Panic! At The Disco, Paramore and Bailey Zimmerman.
During his 25-year tenure at Atlantic Records, Robertson signed Shinedown, Paramore, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Knox and A Day to Remember, and helped develop artists including GAYLE, Collective Soul, Seven Mary Three, Matchbox 20 and more.
“I’m a fan of so much of the music Mike and Stevo have discovered and promoted throughout their careers,” Big Loud Partner / Producer / President of A&R Joey Moi said in a statement. “Working with them on building and establishing some incredible new rock and alternative acts is something we’re all really looking forward to.”
“Mike and Stevo have championed some of the most exciting, culture-driving music of the last two decades, so when the opportunity to work with them in this capacity came up, it was an instant ‘yes,’” Big Loud partner and CEO Seth England said in a statement. “We’re grateful to partner with them and build a legacy together with Severance.”
“When Mike (Easterlin) and I laid the groundwork for Severance Records, we were driven by a genuine love for rock music and an instinct to follow its evolving path,” Robertson said in a statement. “In an industry that seemed to have momentarily turned away from rock, we felt a strong undercurrent – a shift back towards the authentic sounds of guitars and raw attitude. Dexter and The Moonrocks struck a chord with us immediately. While being influenced by greats like Nirvana and Kings Of Leon, they’re a bridge to the future of rock, blending influences from rock legends and contemporaries like Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Colter Wall. Their sound is the DNA of Severance Records – rediscovering and redefining rock with a fresh perspective, especially with a nod to Southern roots.
“We’re shaping a unique culture. Our focus is alternative – alt-rock, alt-pop, alt-country, and indie rock. We’re drawn to authentic, unconventional sounds. Dexter and The Moonrocks are at the forefront of that. As our first signing, they represent the distinct sound of Severance Records.”
As Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge forecast in an October earnings call, saying that the company would need to “cut to grow,” UMG is expected to begin laying off employees as soon as this quarter.
Bloomberg first reported the news Friday morning (Jan. 12) that in the next few months hundreds of jobs will be cut from the company that has around 10,000 staffers worldwide.
A spokesperson for UMG declined to confirm the number or the timetable, but in a statement said, “We continue to position UMG to accelerate its leadership in music’s most promising growth areas and drive its transformation to capitalize on them. Over the past several years, we have been investing in future growth—building our ecommerce and D2C operations, expanding geographically, and leveraging new technologies. While we maintain our industry-leading investments in A&R and artist development, we are creating efficiencies in other areas of the business so we can remain nimble and responsive to the dynamic market, while realizing the benefits of our scale.”
In his New Year’s memo to the company, Grainge hinted at changes, writing the company will “further evolve our organizational structure.”
Despite the cuts, Grainge has promised further growth. In his same memo, he noted UMG’s global growth in the past year, including the restructuring and expansion of distribution company Virgin Music Group into such areas as the Middle East, Africa, India and China.
That is a plan that Grainge said promises to continue: “We will keep growing our presence around the world by doing just what we do in more established music markets: signing and developing local artists; providing local labels and entrepreneurs with global promotion, distribution, and a full suite of artist services; and acquiring local labels, catalogs and artist services businesses.”
The news comes while the U.S. recorded music industry continues to grow, despite the potential for streaming saturation and growing challenges from artificial intelligence. U.S. music consumption grew 12.6% in 2023 to 1.1 billion units (measured as album sales plus track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums), according to a year-end report issued by Luminate on Wednesday. With that double-digit gain, the U.S. market had its biggest one-year gain since consumption grew 15% in 2019.
UMG remains the leader in U.S. market share, bolstered by artists like Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Post Malone and Olivia Rodrigo. For 2023, its record label market share was 35.84%, up 33.57% from 2022.
Warner Music Group already experienced layoffs, cutting roughly 4% of its staff last year.
Nate Albert has been appointed president of Giant Music, the independent record label launched in 2022 by Irving Azoff and his son Jeffrey Azoff.
A recording artist and creative A&R executive with major label experience, Albert joins the team at Giant which includes co-founder Shawn Holiday, Matt LaMotte and Charles Hamilton, Billboard can reveal.
When Giant Music was established as part of the Azoff Company, Holiday ran the venture’s day-to-day operations.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Partnering with Nate at Giant is the next step for us in building a world class label,” Holiday explains in a statement, issued Thursday (Jan. 11). “As an artist himself, he understands how to help artists achieve their dreams and that is what we do at Giant.”
Albert is co-founder, guitarist, songwriter and co-producer in ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, which split in 2022 after more than 30 years, 11 albums and 10 EPs. Six of the band’s LPs cracked the Billboard 200, with 1997’s Let’s Face It peaking at No. 27 and logging 50 weeks total weeks on the chart.
He comes to Giant Music from Warner Records, where he developed and signed best new artist Grammy Award nominee Omar Apollo, Teddy Swims, and others. Before that, Albert was an A&R executive at Capitol Records and Republic Records, where he signed The Weeknd and Maggie Rogers, and worked on projects with Dua Lipa, Marshmello, Roddy Ricch, Troye Sivan and more.
“I am thrilled to help build a new label from an artist’s and manager’s perspective in 2024,” he comments on his new role. “Irving and Jeffrey have a sterling reputation as defenders of artists’ rights and that spirit and point of view will continue to thrive at Giant Music.”
The goal, he continues, “is not just to create another option for the creative community, but to create a place for the creative community to call home.”
Giant Music revives the Giant name for the Azoffs, with the elder Azoff launching Giant Records in 1990 as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records. The label went on to work with artists including MC Hammer and Color Me Badd.
Based in Los Angeles, The Azoff Company’s portfolio includes Full Stop Management, Global Music Rights, Oak View Group, Iconic Artists Group, and Giant Music, which boasts the motto: “Creativity, transparency, and passion.”
Giant’s roster includes Ayleen Valentine, Cash Cobain and Fendida Rappa.
Columbia Records announced Joe Gallo‘s promotion to GM on Wednesday (Jan. 10). Gallo, who started at the label more than a decade ago, previously held the position of executive vp/head of sales. “Spending the last ten years in a commercial role allowed me to work with teams across the label and its storied roster,” Gallo […]
At the midyear point of 2023, Republic Records had put up a 12.46% current market share — defined as albums released in the past 18 months — which was a remarkable figure, and more than 4.5% higher than the second-largest label. Now, as 2023 has come to a close, Republic finished the year even higher, reaching an eye-popping 13.47% current market share for the year. That’s the highest full-year mark since at least 2015, when streaming began to lift the industry out of its post-CD doldrums, and more than 3% higher than its current share in 2022, which was a then-industry-leading 10.38%.
Republic’s high-water mark stems from a combination of both enduring releases dating back to the end of 2022 and massive albums from two of the biggest stars on the planet this year: Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen. For full-year 2023, Swift and Wallen (signed through Republic’s deal with Big Loud, which on its own commanded a 2.33% current share) combined for seven of the top 10 albums in U.S. consumption units, according to Luminate, including four of the top five. With Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains ranking at No. 10, Republic had an astonishing eight of the 10 biggest albums in the United States in 2023. And Republic’s fourth quarter was even more dominant: In the final three months of the year, the label’s current market share ballooned to 16.79%, buoyed by new albums from Drake, Nicki Minaj and Stray Kids. That’s higher than the current share of the entire Warner Music Group across that three-month period, which stood at 15.50%.
Following Republic — which includes Island, Big Loud, Mercury Records, Cash Money and indie distributor Imperial in its market share — Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA) came in second in current share, at 8.80%, up from the 8.72% it tallied in 2022. The label — which also encompasses Verve Label Group — scored another big success with Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album GUTS. It also saw critical acclaim for Verve’s Jon Batiste, once again a Grammy darling, and continued its extremely strong recent track record of breaking new artists, with Gracie Abrams up for best new artist at this year’s Grammys — a category the label has won in three of the past four years.
The success of Republic and IGA helped parent company Universal Music Group roar back to a 35.84% current market share for 2023, jumping two points year over year from 2022’s 33.57%. In second, Sony Music Entertainment also grew year over year, up to 27.08% from 2022’s 26.99%, while Warner Music Group dipped to 16.95%, down from last year’s 18.30%. The indies, by distribution ownership, accounted for 20.13% current market share, down from 21.14% in 2022.
In third and fourth place in current share among frontline labels are a pair of Warner Music Group labels, Atlantic Records (6.83%, down from 9.15% in 2022) and Warner Records (5.96%, up from 4.86% in 2022). Atlantic (encompassing 300 Elektra Entertainment), which dipped from second to third place year over year, scored a big win with the Barbie soundtrack as well as No. 1s from Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow, despite a two-plus point percentage drop in current share. Meanwhile, Warner Records — which includes Warner Latin, catalog label Rhino and parts of Warner Nashville in its share — surged from sixth place last year to fourth place this year with a more than 1% boost. Zach Bryan’s self-titled album and No. 1 Hot 100 single “I Remember Everything” led the way, with Bryan landing at No. 4 on Billboard’s year-end Artist 100 ranking and his “Something in the Orange” being the third-most-streamed song of 2023.
In fifth, Capitol Music Group also saw a big year-over-year boost in current share, from 4.97% in 2022 to 5.90% in 2023. The label — which remains in fifth place despite the jump in share and encompasses Motown/Quality Control, Blue Note, Astralwerks, Capitol Christian and indie distributor Virgin Music — enjoyed the breakout success of Ice Spice (signed in conjunction with 10K Projects) in the past year as well as a top 10 Hot 100 single from Toosii.
Sixth place in current share belongs to RCA Records at 4.70%, a one-spot jump over last year when it came in with 4.65%. The label, whose market share does not include any other labels or distributors, benefited from the enduring success of SZA’s multi-Grammy nominated S.O.S. album, the third-biggest project of 2023, as well as huge hits from Doja Cat, Tate McCrae and Ateez, the latter of which landed a No. 1 album in the fourth quarter. Dropping into seventh is Columbia at 4.67% of current share, down from fourth in 2022 when it had a 6.67% share. Columbia, which includes some labels from indie distributor RED in its market share, still racked up a big hit with Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 this year on its way to becoming the fourth-most-streamed song of 2023 and the most-heard song on radio in the United States, according to Luminate.
In eighth, Sony Nashville jumped a half percentage point year over year to 2.32% from 1.89% last year, with a big Luke Combs album helping it rise one spot from last year’s ranking. Meanwhile, Sony’s Epic Records slipped to ninth year over year, despite boosting its current share from 2.23% in 2022 to 2.30% in 2023 and scoring a pair of big projects from Travis Scott — whose Utopia album was the seventh-biggest of 2023, according to Luminate — and Tyla with “Water,” which roared into the Hot 100’s top 10 late in the year. Rounding out the top 10 is yet another Sony label, Sony Latin, which also had a huge year, upping its current share from 1.24% in 2022 to an impressive 1.95% in 2023.
In overall market share, Republic’s dominance with newer releases lifted it to the No. 1 slot over IGA, 9.83% to 9.65%, despite the latter’s industry-leading 9.93% share of the catalog market. Atlantic, at 8.09%, sits comfortably in third, while Warner Records and Capitol Music Group are neck-and-neck in fourth and fifth, with 6.68% and 6.66% overall share, respectively, with their catalog shares tied at 6.92%. Columbia’s 6.65% catalog share is enough to lift it into sixth in overall share, ahead of RCA, with the two separated at 6.14% and 5.16%, respectively, in overall share. Epic (2.61%), Sony Nashville (2.05%) and Def Jam (1.84%) round out the overall top 10 rankings.
Among the label groups, the weight of catalog once again lifts all ships, with UMG jumping to an industry-leading 38.46% overall market share, up from 37.54% in 2022. Sony also saw an increase year over year, ending 2023 at 27.18%, up from 2022’s 26.87%, while Warner dipped slightly year over year, to 18.62% in overall share in 2023 compared to 19.05% in 2022. The indies by distribution ownership also fell, to 15.74% from 16.54% in 2022.