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Republic Records has a big week in the Billboard 200 albums chart’s top 10, as the label is home to a whopping eight of the top 10 titles on the list dated Jan. 13. Since Luminate’s electronically monitored music data began powering the chart on May 25, 1991, no label had previously held eight of […]
Now that Warner Music Group chairman/CEO Robert Kyncl has had a full year at the helm of the major label, he has released a New Year’s note to staff, obtained by Billboard, outlining a plan to kick into gear and set the company up for the next 10 years of changes in the music business.
In the note, Kyncl says he’s referring to the year 2024 as “The Year of the Next 10 — the year when we move at velocity to set ourselves up for a winning decade in the new world.”
“As we start the new year, one thing I’d like us all to remember is that our world has fundamentally changed… the music business is in a very different place than it was 10 years ago,” Kyncl writes. “Now, we’re in a position of strength. That is the time to get ahead for the future.”
He then emphasizes three key areas that he sees as crucial for the next year: growing the engagement with music; increasing the value of music; and evolving how the team works together.
On the first point, Kyncl breaks it down into four main focus points. The first, he writes, is about focusing A&R more on capturing opportunity, including geographically (“based on where artists and songwriters come from and where their streams are going”) and looking forward, as with identifying genres that will grow in the future. The second, in marketing, he emphasizes the partnership between marketing, A&R, tech and business intelligence to better focus efforts and better use the data available. The third, in catalog, emphasizes the ability to market and promote WMG’s extensive catalog on the same lines as it does its frontline music, particularly in digital optimization, given that catalog is driving some 70% of consumption in the current market. And finally, he emphasizes distribution and administration, in beefing up both the services available to the “middle class of artists” and in the major’s publishing admin business, which he wants to scale up further.
The second point, focusing on value, is about solving in 2024 for some of the conversations that rose up and started to dominate in 2023: namely, the value of artists and music on streaming platforms, as well as the issues surrounding the dilution of the royalty pool from the likes of functional music and white-noise tracks. Kyncl has previously spoken about the importance of streaming services raising prices, which many did in the past year, which he stresses as well. And finally, he stresses the need to further develop artist-to-superfan relationships, which he calls “relatively untapped and under-monetized,” though notes that WMG has initiatives in the works in many of these areas already.
The final point, on working together, is about reorienting how the WMG team works, including through leaning into expertise, transparency, flexibility, collaboration across departments and within teams, relying on metrics and not being afraid to lead rather than follow the industry.
Kyncl also takes time to point out some of WMG’s successes in the past year, including big years by the likes of Zach Bryan, Jack Harlow and Gunna; returns from Dua Lipa, David Guetta and Ed Sheeran; and catalog victories for the music of David Bowie, Madonna and Talking Heads, among others, while looking forward to new music from Gabby Barrett, Maria Becerra, Green Day and more.
Looking at the past several decades in 10-year chunks is a useful way of catching snapshots of how markedly things have changed. In 2004, the CD boom had decidedly stalled, as piracy began to take chunks out of the record industry and the business was in the midst of its protracted struggle with piracy and the digital revolution. By 2014, the industry had effectively bottomed out, with recorded revenues hitting their nadir as streaming had been introduced but had yet to catch on as a viable, much less dominant, format for the business. Now, in 2024, with streaming far and away the biggest source of revenue for a booming business, the revenue model is being hotly scrutinized, as new technologies and increasing fraud and volume threaten to overwhelm the now-established status quo.
In that respect, Kyncl sees this year as a pivotal one to answer several of these big questions, and set WMG up for the next decade of challenges and opportunities in the business. “We’re going to fuel the growth of this company using the same resourcefulness and determination with which we develop our artists and songwriters,” he writes. “Because ultimately that’s what will serve them best.”
Alfredo Delgadillo has been appointed president and CEO of Universal Music México, Billboard can exclusively announce.
Previously Universal Music México’s managing director, Delgadillo’s newly-expanded role includes Universal Music Group’s regional Mexican label, Fonovisa-Disa. The Mexico City-based executive will continue to report directly to Jesús López, chairman/CEO, Universal Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula.
“We are in a unique moment of growth for Latin music and Regional Mexican music, so this new responsibility comes with an even stronger commitment to continue growing the success and reach of our artists both in Mexico and around the world, alongside growing our live and management businesses,” Delgadillo said in a statement.
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“Now with the addition of the Fonovisa-Disa labels,” he continued, “I am looking forward to working closely with its leader Antonio Silva, for whom I have absolute respect and their entire team, to ensure that the legacy of Fonovisa-Disa, as the symbol and leader of Regional Mexican music, continues to grow and expand to the rest of the world.”
After a 10-year run with EMI Music México, Delgadillo returned to Universal in 2013 (when UMG acquired EMI) as general manager of Universal Music México, and in 2017 was promoted to managing director where he was key in the development of local acts, such as Mon Laferte and Caloncho, while contributing to the growth of international acts in Mexico like J Balvin, David Bisbal, Metallica, U2 and Taylor Swift, among others.
During his time with the label, the industry veteran, who began his career at Universal Music México in 1998, has overseen strategies to “take UMG’s international acts to the top of the Mexican charts” and “was responsible for the development and consolidation of Global Talent Services (GTS),” according to a press release.
“Alfredo is an executive with extensive experience in all fields of entertainment, including records, management and touring,” added Jesús López, Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula chairman and CEO. “He has incredible leadership capacity and a great track record of developing and integrating young executives into his teams. These are among the many reasons for his ongoing success at Universal Music Mexico. I wish him every success in his new mission within the company. He has the support of our entire team.”
On Friday (Jan. 5), the band’s fans began expressing concern online upon noticing that its website and socials had been wiped clean. As a source confirms to Billboard, the fresh start follows the expiration of the band’s 20-year contract with Atlantic Records in late December, meaning the Hayley Williams-fronted group is now a free agent. […]
The first No. 1 of 2024 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart belongs to 19-year-old Mexican-American artist Xavi, whose “La Diabla” (“The She-Devil”) is a romantic tumbado about a bad boy romancing a bad girl to the tune of a crunchy requinto guitar. Out on Interscope, the song, which rose from No. 4 to No. 1 post-Christmas, is Xavi’s first No. 1 on any Billboard chart. It also topped Spotify’s Global Top 50, a first for a solo regional Mexican act.
Xavi (short for Joshua Xavier Gutiérrez) also scored his fourth week atop Billboard’s Latin Songwriters chart on the strength of “La Diabla,” his previous single “La víctima” (which rose from No. 7 to No. 5 on Hot Latin Songs this week), “Poco a Poco” with Dareyes De La Sierra (at No. 18) and “Modo DND” with Tony Aguirre (at No. 21).
It’s quite a performance for the relatively unknown singer-songwriter from Arizona, who was signed to Interscope two years ago when he was still in the early TikTok stage, with no viral hit to his name.
“We have great respect for the indie labels, but it’s not like he was going viral and we signed him,” says Manny Prado, vp of marketing and A&R for Interscope. “I think it’s a big success for a major label that we were able to get an artist from zero to the global charts, and hopefully next he’ll become a global superstar.”
Prado, who spent two decades with Sony U.S. Latin, most recently as head of West Coast operations, moved to Interscope in August and took over a blooming regional Mexican roster that also includes Gabito Ballesteros and Iván Cornejo. While he works with all genres of Latin music in his new position, as a Mexican-American, the rise of regional Mexican music has been particularly gratifying, he says. Regional Mexican music — the broad umbrella term given to dozens of subgenres like banda, norteño, corridos and sierreño — has always been one of the foundations of Latin music’s success, both in the United States and Mexico. But it only entered the global consciousness — and the Hot 100 — in the past two years.
Now, Xavi is part of a new generation of very young Regional Mexican artists whose music is currently the dominant Latin presence on the Hot 100 and the global Latin charts overall. But, unlike most rising stars, who first enter the upper echelons of the charts aided by collaborations and big-name partnerships, Xavi has done so alone. Both “La Diabla” and “La víctima,” his two big hits, are solo efforts by design. Since signing him, Interscope has focused on developing both his style and his songwriting. His more romantic approach — Xavi has yet to enter “bélico,” or drug-related songwriting terrain — coupled with a baby face and a vibrant, acoustic sound, has given him broad appeal. And Interscope’s focus on social amplification has taken his music even further.
In recognition of Xavi’s Hot Latin Songs chart feat, Prado is Billboard’s Executive of the Week. Below, he talks about the rise of Regional Mexican with a younger generation, why they decided not to make “La Diabla” a duet, how they plan to broaden Xavi’s reach beyond the Latin audience and more.
You’re based in Los Angeles but report to Nir Seroussi, who runs Interscope’s Miami office, with a growing Latin roster. How important is Mexican music within that?
Here at Interscope, we don’t have an “Interscope rock” or an “Interscope country,” and we don’t have a division we call Latin or Mexican. What we do is we assemble a specific team depending on the artist, and I’m in charge of all the “Miami” roster, [including] Kali Uchis and Karol G. Regional Mexican has grown exponentially. We already had Xavi when I came in, as well as Iván Cornejo and Marca Registrada [among many others]. And the common theme is they’re all young. The majority are Mexican-American, which I love, born in the United States, just like me. My parents are Mexican immigrants, so for me, it’s an honor to work with these types of artists that I have so much in common with. It’s all about respecting each individual artist, having the deepest respect for their roots and giving them the service they want. Sometimes we work with our general-market company. We don’t have borders.
Regional Mexican music has always been a backbone of Latin music but has never been this global. Why do you think it’s having such a moment right now?
They’re Gen Z-ers, and I think that’s the difference. For example, I was at Amoeba Music, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d see Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros t-shirts. That’s the beauty of today that has never happened: The younger generation is growing up with these artists. When I was growing up it was all traditional music, there was nothing really young. Now it’s cool to like Mexican; the way they dress, the way they talk, they’re very relatable. And you can be an artist from Mexico and have the same things.
Within this big crop of acts, what makes Xavi stand out?
When Nir and the team first met Xavi, they immediately recognized a genuine artist in the traditional sense: a phenomenal songwriter who can sing and is also relatable. In a sea of artists lacking these qualities, Xavi stood out. People are growing weary of the superficial, and they crave authenticity — the real deal. And Xavi is the real deal. We have a daily sentiment report that we’re very much obsessed with.
A sentiment report? Can you explain?
We go into social media and look at every little comment. For example, if there’s a post on TikTok, we’ll see what the general sentiment is. This team is amazing. What sets Xavi apart by just looking at that report and talking to people is his mannerisms, his style, he’s being compared to the biggest artists on the planet. People like him. Tiene angel.
You said that social media has played a huge role in Xavi’s rise. Can you point to some examples in which Interscope mined that?
Our digital marketing team prioritized reaching out to genre-specific music reviewers to encourage them to discuss Xavi. We presented them with the project, and they consistently came back with extremely positive comments. Additionally, we organically documented special moments in the studio, video shoots and interviews, keeping Xavi’s audience captivated and well-informed. It wasn’t easy. A lot of people said, “Who is that kid?” The music also changed and he found his direction.
How did the music change?
He just found his style. It became like tumbadito romántico. Before it was a lot more romantic, a little poppier. Now he has more of a Mexican edge in the music. Another thing is, “La Diabla” talks about women in a very positive light. We’re seeing the female population really embrace it. In the genre, it’s not a thing to write about women in a positive light.
I’m also struck by the fact that his two biggest hits are solo tracks instead of collabs. Was this a deliberate decision?
Yes, and we’re very proud of it. He actually made history as the only solo Mexican artist to hit No. 1 on the Spotify chart. We wanted to be different and we felt that Xavi really had the talent, that distinctive voice to accomplish that goal. When we saw “La víctima” take off like it did, and then we had “La Diabla,” we said, “Let’s keep going.” We did think about making it a duet and we’ve had various artists approach [us], but ultimately the decision was, we’re going alone. We felt we had so much momentum that we thought we shouldn’t wait, even though the holidays were coming.
How did you promote the track?
We had a Posada at Interscope studios before the holidays, around December 14. It’s for sure the first regional Mexican event done at the historic Interscope studios in L.A., and we invited DSPs, influencers, traditional media, and that’s how we kicked off the single. And we amplified everything through that event. The goal was to surpass “La víctima.” Honestly, the goal was not a global No. 1.
I know Xavi was signed two years ago, and shortly after, he was in a big car accident that required hospitalization, extensive plastic surgery and which sidelined him for a bit. How did that affect his development? Was there a tipping point?
I don’t think this happened overnight. And we’ve always been working on music since he got signed, and that’s what it’s all about: A&R and creating awareness. He really wasn’t doing media because he was going through a moment there with the accident. But he came out of it and he wanted to give it his all. Everything clicked all at once, even though it was two years in the making. But I want to stress: It wasn’t overnight. We have four songs now on the global charts. And that’s rare nowadays. We have great respect for the indie labels but it’s not like he was going viral and we signed him. Interscope came across a video, they shared it with Nir, Nir decided to sign him. I think it’s a big success for a major label that we were able to get an artist from zero to getting on the global charts, and hopefully, next he’ll become a global superstar. Really rare nowadays.
Are there any specific examples of how the Latin team collaborated with Interscope’s general-market departments on “La Diabla”?
Once the record gained traction, we collaborated with Gary Kelly‘s team (Interscope’s GM/chief revenue officer) to expand its reach beyond Latin playlisting, successfully securing a spot on Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits. All the DSPs have been very supportive, but it hasn’t been automatic. We are also closely working with Cara Donatto (executive vp/head of media) and Xavier Ramos (executive vp of pop & rock marketing) and their respective teams on general-market media outreach and marketing initiatives.
What’s next for Xavi?
He recently signed with WME and we’re working hand in hand with them and working on a tour. He recently signed a publishing deal with Universal Latin. We don’t have plans for an album yet, so we will keep releasing singles. And we’re releasing the video for “Sin Pagar la Renta,” which never had a video when it was originally released last year. That’s also unusual.
Virgin Music Group has acquired Saban Music Latin, it was announced on Thursday (Jan. 4). The deal comes five years after entertainment mogul Haim Saban invested $500 million to launch Saban Music Group, and two years after the music company launched its Latino division.
Under the terms of the transaction, Virgin Music — a division of Universal Music Group — will acquire Saban Music Latin’s catalog, which includes such artists as Jon Z, Reykon and German Montero. It will also release future albums by Saban Music Latin artists.
Saban Music Latin’s roster includes emerging L.A.-based pop artist Loyal Lobos, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Chesca — who has scored two No. 1 songs on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart (“Súbelo” and “Te Quiero Baby”) — and rapper-producer YoGambii.
Saban Music Group launched in 2019 as a music company with a Latin focus and with veteran music executive Gustavo Lopez as CEO. Lopez was the longtime GM and executive vp Universal Music Latin, where he launched Latin urban label Machete Music, home to artists like Wisin & Yandel and Don Omar, and also ran Universal Music Latin Entertainment’s regional Mexican labels, Fonovisa and Disa. After leaving UMLE in 2017, he launched indie music company Talento Uno, which was acquired by Saban.
In 2020, Saban Music Group entered into an exclusive global administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group — and in February 2022, it announced it was launching a Latin division with Alejandro Reglero in the role of executive vp/GM, reporting to Lopez.
The acquisition follows Virgin Music Group’s recent partnerships with other Latin labels, including DEL Records, the West Coast-based independent label home to Latin music’s biggest song of 2023, “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma. In November, Virgin Music also announced a worldwide agreement with Pepe Aguilar‘s two regional Mexican labels, Machin and Equinoccio Records.
The Virgin Music Group roster already includes such Latin stars as Espinoza Paz, Sech, Grupo Firme, Tainy and Angela Aguilar.
More than two weeks ago, a video clip of music executive Brandon Silverstein angrily yelling into his computer at a client on a Zoom call began circulating around the music industry, prompting widespread curiosity and speculation over the circumstance that led to this on-camera blow up.
Here’s what Silverstein was so upset about: His business relationship with rising English rapper LeoStayTrill, a former contestant on The Voice U.K. who is signed to Silverstein’s S10 Entertainment label.
LeoStayTrill has enjoyed some recent TikTok success with his gliding single “Honeybun,” leading to an uptick in interest from companies around the music industry. In the leaked video, Silverstein threatens to take legal action against the artist and his representatives. On the other side of the call were two managers working with the 17-year-old rapper.
“Bro, I have tens of millions of dollars,” Silverstein says at one point. “I’ll sue you; I’ll f—ing sue your artist; I’ll f—ing sue your artist’s father. I’ll sue everybody. I’ll sue the label you sign to; I’ll sue the f—ing publisher you sign to, so shut the f— up.”
Later he returns to this theme: “I’ll f—ing sue you for tortious interference, you f—ing idiot.” Silverstein adds, “I have 40 grand of my own f—-ing money in this f—ing project,” and that the other managers “don’t have money to litigate.”
Silverstein, who also co-manages the Latin star Myke Towers, didn’t say in the clip what they’d be litigating. In a text viewed by Billboard, Silverstein apologized to LeoStayTrill’s representatives after the call, blamed his behavior on personal matters, and said there might be a way to potentially bring a major label into the business relationship.
In a statement to Billboard, Silverstein said that “prior to the Zoom call, a threat of physical harm was made against a member of my team” — LeoStayTrill’s managers vehemently deny this — resulting in “a heated business dispute.” “I’m not proud of losing my cool,” Silverstein’s statement continued, “but I have learned from this experience.” He declined to elaborate on the threat or comment on anything related to LeoStayTrill’s contract.
The two men on the other side of the call were Alistair Goldsmith, co-founder and president of Chosen Music, and Ade Shonubi, who runs the management company FlyStr8. In a statement, Goldsmith said that “being spoken to in this manner is completely unacceptable. It’s never been acceptable… We won’t tolerate it and will sing from the rooftops about any abuse of power against both our artists and our team.”
The video “should not have been shared on the internet,” says Goldsmith. (He declined to comment on how it was distributed.) “It now has been, so it’s only fair to add that Brandon Silverstein immediately apologized to both Ade and myself.”
While a source close to the rapper says he’s “not happy” and “doesn’t really want to do music anymore,” LeoStayTrill’s managers also declined to comment on his contractual obligations to S10, which offers management and music publishing operations in addition to its label services.
Heated business disputes are of course common between artist representatives and the labels they work with. A previous generation of executives sometimes even boasted about their ability to sling insults across the negotiating table. Former CBS Records head Walter Yetnikoff wrote in his memoir about “regaling [a] reporter with stories” of him “throwing plates at lawyers.” (This was confirmed to Esquire in 1986 by the music attorney Allen Grubman, who said one of those plates was hurled in his direction.)
Mores in the music industry have changed significantly since Yetnikoff ran a record company, however. And at the same time, in the social media era, more disputes between artists and labels play out partially in public, where fans and bystanders can weigh in — with little regard for facts or feelings.
Last year, for example, Halsey accused her label, Capitol Records, of preventing her from releasing “a song that I love.” In April, Halsey and Capitol parted ways. (“We are incredibly proud of all we accomplished together, and wish Halsey the very best in all their future endeavors,” Capitol said in April.)
That same month, the Brazilian singer Anitta — who was Silverstein’s management client at the time, though they’ve since stopped working together — split with Warner Records. Her departure came not long after she lambasted her label on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “If there was a fine to pay [to extricate myself from my contract], I would have already auctioned off my organs, no matter how expensive it was to get out,” the singer wrote. (Warner declined to comment at the time but said they “wish Anitta all the best in the future” in a joint statement announcing the end of the business relationship.)
Halsey and Anitta are established artists with big hits and large global followings. In contrast, LeoStayTrill is still at the start of his career — he just turned 17. “Honeybun” recently passed the 1-million-stream threshold on Spotify; one TikTok clip using the single has amassed more than 3 million views on the platform.
Another recent clip posted by LeoStayTrill is captioned “f*** the label.” But getting out of a deal without a star’s leverage and resources may not be so easy. In a statement, Goldsmith said that “the issue… is now being handled professionally, and in the best interests of a 17-year-old artist.”
Warner Music Nashville has appointed Stephanie Wright as senior vp of A&R, reporting to label co-chair/co-president Cris Lacy. Wright joined the company as a consultant in October. Wright has spent more than 23 years in A&R at Universal Music Group in Nashville, beginning as an assistant at Capitol Records and rising through the ranks to […]
The holiday season is a lousy time for new Christmas music. From one year to the next, the top of the chart sees little turnover.
During the last decade, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has been the top holiday song eight times, except in 2014 and 2016, when Pentatonix took the honors with “Mary, Did You Know” and a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” respectively. Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” are reliable runners-up. Of 2022’s top 10 holiday tracks, nine were also in the top 10 in 2021; six of them were in the top 10 in 2016. Reaching that region means outperforming some of the iconic recordings of the past 100 years, including Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Nat “King” Cole’s “The Christmas Song.” It’s tough competition.
This year, Jordin Sparks is hoping to nudge into the Douglas fir-scented scrum with a multiplatform approach to establishing a Christmas-season earworm. The American Idol season 6 winner recently signed with Epidemic Sounds, a platform that licenses royalty-free music to content creators, and released the four-track EP The Gift of Christmas on Nov. 21, which includes covers of “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”
Epidemic Sound acts like a record label by releasing the EP to digital service providers and getting tracks on playlists. But the most powerful distribution mechanism is its army of content creators that attract huge audiences. According to Epidemic Sound chief of music Niklas Brantberg, music licensed from the platform is heard 2 billion times daily on YouTube and 500 million times daily on TikTok.
Sparks’ EP is off to a good start. The songs on The Gift of Christmas have been used thousands of times and amassed nearly 10 million views to date, according to the company. In just two weeks, her cover of “Jingle Bells” became the best-performing holiday track ever released at Epidemic Sounds.
Sparks’ holiday branding strategy also includes a three-part seasonal decorating and home improvement video series, Merry & Bright, which is sponsored by Home Depot and will be shown on the video streaming interface built into 22 million VIZIO TVs. Katlyn Wilson, director of branded content sales and strategy at VIZIO, says Sparks “was the perfect host for this,” adding, “She has done Christmas content before. Hopefully, it will be a great way for her to continue to establish herself in the Christmas space.”
The Gift of Christmas is not Sparks’ first foray into seasonal music. She released the holiday album Cider & Hennessy in 2020, and two of its songs were featured in the 2021 Hallmark Channel movie A Christmas Treasure, which co-starred Sparks.
The Hallmark Channel is so important to the holiday music business that BMG, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing and Seeker Music partnered with the cable network for songwriter camps in 2023. Hallmark executives clued in the creators to what they look for when licensing music. “So far, we’ve had five placements from that camp,” says Mariana Migliore, director of creative synch at BMG — two of them by HunterGirl, the runner-up on season 20 of American Idol. “The Hallmark Channel will promote [the songs] on their SiriusXM channel and Spotify playlists,” she adds.
Other platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have followed Hallmark Channel’s lead and are getting more involved in Christmas movies. That presents an opportunity to get holiday music in front of large audiences that wouldn’t hear the music otherwise. “It feels like probably every other writer of ours is either an openly big fan of putting their music in that kind of project, or they are secretly obsessed with those projects,” BMG senior vp of creative synch Jonathan Palmer says. “It becomes like a bucket-list item for them.”
Warner Music Latin America and management and promotion company OCESA Seitrack are launching a booking and brand partnership agency for artists, together with broadcaster Sergio “Checho” Rodríguez. All Warner Music artists will have access to the services offered.
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The joint venture, called “Touring the World,” will be helmed by Rodriguez — operating from offices in Colombia, Mexico, Spain and the United States — and will offer artists support in different areas related to touring, brand partnerships, booking and other artist services. It will be supported by Warner Music’s expertise and infrastructure as well as OCESA Seitrack’s massive commercial structure in multiple countries. Touring the World will also have support from its existing artist services company, Get In, which is owned by Warner Music Spain.
The new joint venture, says Warner Music Latin America president Alejandro Duque, “signifies a pivotal moment, as we combine our experience to deliver professional services and global opportunities for artists.”
“This is a joint venture and the vision is for it to be independent,” adds Duque. “We want to avoid conflicts of interest, and for that to work, it has to be an independent agency.”
Not all Warner artists, for example, will be part of Touring the World nor will they be compelled to sign with the agency. By the same token, OCESA Seitrack, which is a massive concert promoter and management company with clients like Alejandro Sanz and Ha*Ash, will continue to operate its other businesses, separate from Touring the World.
Touring the World wants to “expand the concept of booking and provide a solution for artists so they can have both a touring strategy together with branding and sponsorship efforts,” says Alex Mizrahi, CEO and founder of OCESA Seitrack. The company will focus on artists “that are heating up and who we think have global potential.”
The list of artists currently signed to Touring the World include Piso 21, Manuel Medrano, Elena Rose, Yng Lucas, Blessd, Molotov, Lagos and Ximena Sariñana. Of note is that Touring The World is not looking to become a management company or a concert promotion company if one is already in place.
“We don’t want to take away business or management from anyone. We’ll work with existing managers if they’re interested […] But, it’s very important for us to have the best interests of the artists in mind,” says Mizrahi. “Over the past 20 years at OCESA Seitrack, we’ve meticulously built the touring commercial structure we possess today. This alliance between friends and renowned professionals promises immense benefits for the artists and managers we collaborate with.”
The notion of Touring the World was sparked over a friendly breakfast with Duque, Mizrahi and Rodríguez, a concert promoter who was also a director at GTS, UMG’s artist management and services company for Latin and Spanish artists. Under the GTS model, however, artists are managed or co-managed by GTS, while Touring the World will not be acting as management.
“Touring the World is created by and for artists and their fans,” says Rodríguez, who will oversee teams in Colombia and Mexico and work closely with Spain’s Get In. “This alliance fills me with excitement, standing alongside the finest partners one could ask for.”
Beyond their respective expertise, the partners also bring to the table in-culture and in-country expertise throughout Latin America and Spain.
Iñigo Argomaniz, founder and CEO of Get In, states: “The union of these forces for the creation of ‘Touring the World’ is exciting and will enable a wide range of opportunities to develop the careers of Spanish artists in America.”