The Orchard
Are we having fun yet? It’s time to rally for another spin ’round the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business. There’s been a whole mess of news this week, so let’s get to it.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment appointed David Collins as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective April 14. Collins will oversee all financial functions at MSG Entertainment, including financial planning and analysis, controllership, treasury, investor relations, tax and procurement, reporting directly to executive chairman and CEO James L. Dolan. MSG Entertainment’s portfolio includes Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre in NYC, and the Chicago Theatre in take-a-guess. With over 30 years of experience, Collins brings expertise across live entertainment, sports, energy, transportation and restaurant industries. He previously served as CFO and EVP at Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, managing finance, accounting, analytics, and ticket operations for the Prudential Center, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Devils. Collins also held c-suite roles at Base Entertainment and began his career as a CPA at Ernst & Young. Dolan expressed confidence in Collins’s broad financial experience, particularly in live entertainment and sports, as MSG Entertainment advances key initiatives and long-term goals.
Danny Buch, a promo veteran with decades under his belt who helped break artists from Stone Temple Pilots to Brandi Carlile plus a fair share of “hair” (bands), announced he has departed Sony Music after a 20-year run at two of the label’s indie distribution arms and is launching his own shop, Danny Buch Promotion. Until recently, Buch was senior vp of promotion at Sony’s The Orchard, where he worked artists like BTS, Kelsea Ballerini, Walk off the Earth, Jack White and Bad Bunny at radio. Pre-Orchard, he helped pioneer independent artist promotion by launching RED Distribution’s promo arm in 2005 and stayed there until Sony merged RED into Orchard, starting in 2017. (The RED name was retired later.) During his RED days, Buch helped break Phoenix, Ingrid Michaelson, Alabama Shakes and more indie darlings. But before he saw RED, Buch clocked 25 years at Warner, where he played an integral role in Atlantic Records’ promotion department between 1980 and 2004. Co-heading promo for much of his tenure, Buch lead efforts on behalf of Atlantic giants like AC/DC, INXS, Rush, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, CSNY, Hootie & the Blowfish, STP and more. In the mid-to-late 1980s he broke a chunk of hair/glam metal hits of the day, given Atlantic was home to RATT, Skid Row, White Lion, Winger, Twisted Sister and more. On his next chapter, Buch said: “In launching my new venture, I recognize the opportunity to tap into my years of relationships, in helping both artists & labels. I’m excited about the incredible prospects that lie ahead.” Contact: dbuchmail@gmail.com
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Sarah Gabrielli has been promoted to head of A&R at Sony Music Publishing UK, where she will lead the UK A&R team, strengthen creative strategies, and create new opportunities for songwriters. Based in London, she continues to report to president and co-managing director David Ventura. Over her eight years at SMP, Gabrielli has signed and worked with artists including Artemas, Beabadoobee, Cian Ducrot, Jordan Rakei, Arlo Parks and Two Inch Punch, and her most recent wins include Charli XCX’s 2024 album BRAT. Ventura praised Gabrielli’s passion, leadership, and deep commitment to artist development, calling her promotion a natural next step. Co-managing director Tim Major echoed the sentiment, saying “she is someone who leads with heart, empathy, passion and dedication.”
Michelle Bower joined The Neal Agency as president of strategic partnerships. Bower most recently served as associate sr. vp at LaForce, leading campaigns for companies/brands including Madewell, YSL Beauty, Motorola and Tinder. Bower previously held roles at Jonesworks, Dittoe Public Relations and Fleishman-Hillard. The Neal Agency’s roster includes Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Ernest and more. –Jessica Nicholson
Paul Dworkis is poised to become Berklee‘s new executive vp and chief financial officer, starting next Tuesday (April 15). In this role, he’ll oversee finance, accounting, budgeting, real estate, facilities, risk management and more business matters. Dworkis brings extensive experience in higher education, having served as CFO at Emerson College, the University of Maryland, and in senior roles at Columbia University. At Emerson, he supported academic initiatives, managed public safety and launched the unCommon Stage in Boston Common. Dworkis also spent part of his early career at Newsweek. Berklee president Jim Lucchese praised Dworkis for his “unparalleled” credentials and commitment to student-focused operations. “We share the philosophy that everything we do comes back to our students and how to best meet their needs,” he said. Dworkis expressed enthusiasm for joining Berklee, calling it a “truly special—an institution whose mission, creativity, and global impact are unmatched.”
Electric Feel Entertainment appointed Chandler Nicole Sherrill as senior director of creative, reporting to company founder and CEO Austin Rosen. Based in Nashville, Sherrill brings a strong background in music publishing, beginning her career at Little Extra Music in 2015 and later joining MV2 Entertainment, where she helped contribute to over 20 No. 1s for major artists like Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean. In her new role, she’ll lead creative strategy and collaboration among artists, producers and songwriters. Rosen, who just joined the board of Outback Presents, praised Sherrill’s passion and vision, calling her a valuable addition to the team. “We look forward to seeing the impact she will have as we continue to push boundaries and shape the future of entertainment,” he said.
NASHVILLE NOTES: Big Loud promoted Brianne Deslippe to head of marketing from senior vp of global marketing and strategy. She fills the vacancy left by the recent departure of senior vp of marketing Candice Watkins … Megan Wise was named vp of new business at Anotherland Agency, a music label and marketing startup. With over 15 years of industry experience, including roles at the Country Music Association and Creative Artists Agency, she’ll lead brand collaborations, sales strategies and partnership initiatives to drive growth.
Amigo Records appointed Carina Petrillo as product manager / marketing director and promoted Jillian Rutstein to head of digital. Petrillo, with experience at Elektra Records, MTV and Hulu, brings strategic marketing expertise and a strong background in digital engagement, including launching MTV’s TikTok presence. At Amigo, she’ll focus on building artist-fan connections through comprehensive campaigns. Rutstein, who previously split her time between Amigo and Prescription Songs, brings over a decade of experience in digital strategy, contributing to the success of tracks like LU KALA’s “Pretty Girl Era.” Amigo is home to artists such as Scoot Teasley, SNOW WIFE, Kim Petras and Ethel Cain. Petrillo and Rutstein both expressed enthusiasm about working together to shape a new era at the imprint. “Together we are ushering in a new era of Amigo Records while focusing on building comprehensive marketing campaigns for our roster that meet fans where they are – both online and in person,” said Petrillo.
Audible Treats, a New York-based independent music publicity firm, appointed major label veteran Cheyenne Beam as their new director of public relations. Beam was previously the director of PR at Interscope Records and has over ten years of experience in the music, entertainment, fashion and lifestyle industries. He has worked with artists such as Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton, Chaka Khan, Sean Paul, Swae Lee, Juice WRLD and more. Audible Treats’ current clients include artists like Sexyy Red, Chief Keef, Key Glock and events such as Baja Beach Fest and Sueños. Co-founder Michelle McDevitt praised Beam’s deep network, highlighting his ability to address client needs and manage teams effectively, adding, his “broad experience across both agency and major label systems makes him the ideal fit to usher Audible Treats into its next chapter.”
Oak View Group elevated Nick Vaerewyck to senior vp of programming and hired Danny Cohen as director of programming at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL’s Kraken. Vaerewyck will lead strategic content development across the Pacific Northwest and oversee programming, private event sales, service and ticketing. He joins the executive leadership team and brings experience from roles at Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, NY. Vaerewyck has managed over 200 events annually and aims to further elevate Seattle as a premier entertainment market. Cohen, with 15 years in the industry, will support all event programming. Previously, he led programming at Colorado Chautauqua in Boulder. Vaerewyck expressed excitement for the arena’s continued growth, highlighting Seattle’s rise as a top-tier venue and welcoming Cohen to help expand their world-class programming and industry impact.
Big Machine Music named Preston Berger as senior manager of publishing. Berger will join the publishing creative team in representing the BMM catalog and management of the company’s roster of songwriters. Berger previously spent three years at Black River Entertainment’s publishing arm. Prior to Black River, he spent time as an agent assistant at CAA. At the 2025 NSAI Member Awards, he was honored with the friend of NSAI award. –J.N.
BOARD SHORTS: The Nashville Songwriters Association International recently completed its board of directors elections and held the first meeting of the new term. New members Deric Ruttan, Lydia Vaughn and Dan Wilson joined the board, with Jimmy Yeary returning. Eight current members were re-elected, including Kelly Archer and Jessie Jo Dillon. Roger Brown was re-appointed legislative chair, with Rhett Akins and Caitlyn Smith as artist writer board members and Brett James as industry liaison. Officers for the year include Lee Thomas Miller as president and Jenn Schott as vice president.
Select Management Group, a top management firm for next-gen digital creators, announced several strategic promotions and new hires to enhance its services for digital creators. Lauren Fisher has been promoted to director of strategic partnerships, where she will work with top brands like Disney, Uber, Netflix, and Google. Emily Rifanburg joined as a talent manager, bringing over a decade of experience from ICM Partners and Strand Entertainment. Payton Booker and Natasha Trepel have also been promoted to talent managers, focusing on supporting clients across various verticals. Additionally, Katie Josiah has been promoted to talent coordinator, and Madison Dailey and Daisy Wright have been hired as talent coordinators.
Beatchain, an AI-powered A&R and artist services platform, appointed Holly Hutchison, Umesh Luthria and Nick Hamman as regional brand ambassadors for North America, Asia and Africa, respectively. They’ll support Beatchain’s global expansion by strengthening partnerships and driving business development in their regions. Beatchain’s tech helps artists retain their music rights while offering insights into audience growth and performance. Hutchison brings over 35 years of A&R experience; Luthria, based in Mumbai, has over three decades of business expertise and helped launch Muzartdisco Arena; and Hamman, a digital strategist and radio presenter in Johannesburg, has significantly impacted South Africa’s music scene. Said Beatchain CEO Ben Mendoza: “This expansion will help build stronger connections between artists and the global music ecosystem, making it easier for the industry to discover, develop and monetize talent on a global scale.”
The Zach Sang Show appointed Allie Gold as its new social media director, strengthening its digital and multi-platform presence. In her new role, Allie will lead content creation, community management, and multi-platform strategy to further engage fans with the show. Gold brings valuable experience in content creation and audience engagement, having previously served as social media strategy director at iHeartRadio LA and digital marketing strategist at Live Nation. She also played a key role in social media strategy for The Elvis Duran Show and Z100 New York.
ICYMI:
David Massey
Danny Hayes is stepping down from his role as chief executive and partner at Danny Wimmer Presents after more than ten years … Marshall Nolan has been promoted to executive vp and head of commercial strategy at Island Records … Sony Music announced that David Massey, who has served as president of Arista Records since its relaunch in 2018, will retire at the end of June. The company has not yet named his successor. [Keep Reading]
Last Week’s Turntable: Board Buildups at ASCAP and iHeart
If you run a successful independent label and you’re looking for an infusion of cash, the current music business is awash in opportunity.
“Independent labels often lead in trendsetting and new business models, such as the vinyl resurgence, event-driven branding and digital community-building,” says Wez Saunders, CEO of Defected Records, a long-running bastion of dance music. “And the shift toward streaming and digital monetization has allowed [indies] to grow without traditional major-label infrastructure. This success has made independent labels attractive investment opportunities.”
Sony Music in particular has quietly been investing in indies — not only Rimas, but also Mass Appeal, Fat Possum and Black 17 — according to executives with knowledge of the deals.
The size of the commitment varies: Sources say Sony took a minority stake in Fat Possum; a significant minority interest in Black 17; and a significant majority interest in Mass Appeal. All these labels have previous relationships with Sony through its distribution and services wing, The Orchard, which was born in the independent community and has spent many years nurturing connections there.
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This approach can help a major label maintain market share and provide a cost-effective mechanism to keep indie labels in the larger Sony ecosphere. It also allows a major to discreetly benefit from the increasing popularity of the independent sector.
“Large players have been securing stakes in indies to maintain their dominance while still allowing these labels to operate independently,” Saunders notes. “This gives majors indirect control over influential indie ecosystems without fully absorbing them into their corporate structures.”
Executives at Mass Appeal, Fat Possum and Black 17 declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment. A representative for Sony Music declined to comment.
Major labels have been interested in independent companies for more than half a century. Over the years, many of the most famous indies — including Motown, Atlantic Records, A&M Records, Geffen and Island Records — have been vacuumed up into corporate collectives. In fact, these acquisitions are part of how major labels become “major” in the first place.
“Your clock is running when you’re at a major conglomerate,” explains Daniel Glass, founder of Glassnote Records and a former major label president and CEO at EMI Records Group back in the mid-1990s. “You need market share, you need profit. It’s much easier to buy a known entity.”
Acquiring independent labels, or parts of them, is even more important for the majors today as their market share is whittled down by the increased opportunities available to unsigned artists, who can easily upload music to streaming services through distribution companies. And getting a piece of indies has additional value in an increasingly international music industry — MIDiA Research estimates that the independents’ share of the global recorded music business is 40.8%.
In 2024, Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer described his company as “undoubtedly the most aggressive major music group in M&A over the last three years,” and acquiring stakes in labels distributed by The Orchard is just one part of that strategy. Since the start of 2021, Sony has also acquired the label services company AWAL, the Brazilian label Som Livre, the catalog of RECORDS, the Spanish label Altafonte, and a majority stake in the label Alamo.
The other two majors have made splashy purchases during this period as well, though not as many: Universal Music Group acquired [PIAS] and Downtown Music Holdings along with securing a stake in the Nigerian label Mavin Global, while Warner Music Group snapped up 300 Entertainment, 12Tone, Africori, and 51% of 10K Projects.
While Sony is happy to splurge, it doesn’t always acknowledge its purchases; the company still hasn’t admitted it bought a significant minority stake in Rimas. “We can sign huge catalogs,” Stringer told Bloomberg last year, “and we don’t tell anybody officially.”
Acquiring stakes in indies is one way for major labels to expand their reach. Another tried-and-true option is to distribute them. Sony has been a longtime leader in this area — in 1990, it bought a 50% stake in Important Record Distributors. Sony subsequently acquired the rest of that company, which by then had morphed into Relativity Entertainment Distribution (RED), in 1994. RED was later merged into The Orchard, which Sony bought fully in 2015.
But distribution relationships are by definition less permanent. “People are requesting shorter deals than ever and bouncing around just because there are a lot of options and a lot of money,” says one executive whose label is distributed by The Orchard.
In addition to major labels, private equity institutions are now looking for profitable investment opportunities in music, and new outfits like Firebird are offering their own versions of label services partnerships. “All these meetings are very seductive,” Glass says. “You go into the big office, they fly you in, take you to lunch.”
If indies demand shorter deals, those agreements have to be renewed more often, and each renewal gives the company a chance to ask for a bigger advance. One executive working with a bank known for lending to the music industry says he has seen the biggest advances ever from distributors seeking to sign independent labels in the last two years, especially when companies are trying to lure the label away from a rival.
It’s not surprising that the majors “don’t want to lose big [independent] labels” that they work with, says David Fritz, an entertainment attorney. Buying a stake in an indie company, then, serves as insurance against poachers with deep pockets. “It guarantees that [the major] gets to hold on to the market share,” says the executive whose label is distributed by The Orchard.
There are other benefits to buying pieces of indie labels. More and more artists want to call themselves independent — as Todd Rubenstein, a music lawyer, joked last year, “Now you’re either an unsigned artist or an indie artist.” A 2024 survey by MiDia Research and Amuse found that just 6% of artists said they wanted to sign to a major label, as opposed to 20% who aspired to sign to an indie, and even more who dreamed of partnering with a distribution company that offered some label services.
As Saunders puts it, “Major players recognize that the independent sector has strong brand credibility.” Investments in indie labels allow the majors to gain from that cred as well.
The desirability of the “independent” label may also help explain why a number of label owners are selling stakes but not handing over the keys to the whole company. Many founders today want to continue to oversee the operations they launched.
They can still benefit from selling a piece of their company, though. Defected partnered with Firebird to “remove financial constraints that independent labels often face when competing with major label-backed entities,” according to Saunders. “If you can get some resources that you need to be able to realize your vision, and it all makes sense on the ledger, then why not?” asks David Macias, co-founder of the label Thirty Tigers.
While Thirty Tigers is distributed by The Orchard, Macias says he hasn’t sold a piece of the label. (Though he says he did sell back his piece of Triple Tigers Records, a JV he started with Sony.) “Our conversations have been off and on through the years, sort of figuring out if there’s a way to make it all make sense,” Macias adds. “So far it hasn’t. But I never rule anything out.”
Additional reporting by Ed Christman.
Peso Pluma‘s Double P Records has signed a global distribution agreement with The Orchard, the company announced on Friday (Dec. 15).
The Mexican star, in partnership with his manager George Prajin, launched the imprint in April after his extraordinary rise to the global charts following the smash hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado. Double P Records is subdivision of Prajin Parlay Records, Prajin’s West Coast-based indie label that signed Peso in 2022, which already had The Orchard as its distribution partner.
“Peso’s vision was to create a label home to develop new talent with bespoke, collaborative, and transparent plans that meet artists where they are and help propel them forward, which aligns completely with The Orchard’s ethos,” Jason Pascal, executive vp of global artist & label partnerships at The Orchard, who negotiated the deal said in a statement. “With this new global distribution partnership, artists signed to Double P will have access to tools that empower them to build global networks of their own.”
“Jason and The Orchard have been instrumental from the start,” added Prajin. “We make an amazing team, and I am excited to continue the relationship as we continue to take Música Mexicana global.”
Peso serves as Double P Records’ CEO and head of A&R with a roster that includes Mexican music acts Jasiel Nuñez, Tito Laija (Peso’s cousin and one of his co-writers), Los Dareyes De La Sierra and Raúl Vega. “I’m super happy to be able to help my friends because that’s how I see them. I don’t see them as my artists,” Peso previously told Billboard about launching his imprint. “More than anything, I want them to know that if I could do it, so can they. I’m on this journey with them; we’re paddling together. I tell them, ‘Learn from whatever is happening in my career. Take notes because I’m still growing just as you are.’”
Peso, 24, who this year alone entered 22 songs on the Hot 100, played a significant role in leading the genre’s seismic growth in the United States and beyond. His album Génesis made history when it debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the highest ranking for a Mexican music album on the tally. The set is up for best música mexicana album at the Grammys in February.
Peso Pluma will continue to release music through Double P/Prajin Parlay.
A new social action platform, ShowUp, wants to make it easy for artists to integrate activism into album releases, touring strategies and other components of their work.
Launching Monday (Aug. 28), ShowUp connects artists with organizations supporting the causes they care about in order to create, support and scale activism in the music industry. The platform is currently linked with more than 300 hand-selected nonprofit organizations across climate justice, social justice, women’s rights, LGBTQ activism and more. (Using a broader search, users can access more than 1.7 million international organizations.)
ShowUp will be activated by artists as the demand for projects that incorporate activism grows within the industry and among fans. This connection to artists is being facilitated by ShowUp’s partners at launch: ADA Worldwide, Downtown, EMPIRE, The Orchard and Symphonic Distribution.
“Ultimately, ShowUp is an artist services tool, and collectively our partners act as a broadcast point for us to over 100,000 artists and growing,” says ShowUp co-founder/CEO Mat Hall. “ShowUp provides timely and forward-thinking, actionable information and tools to our partners to inform and activate artists.”
Hall continues, “How can artists help our neighbors in Maui? What local organizations can artists support during Hispanic Heritage Month? How can an artist support women’s reproductive health in Mississippi? The teams and leaders we work with daily at our partners help us identify artists across their roster interested in this work and help shape the campaigns we create.”
ShowUp also makes it possible for qualifying artists to select an organization to dedicate a portion of their royalties to via a new release or catalog track. Admin for this function happens seamlessly through existing split-share technology on each partner’s backend.
ShowUp will also provide artists with data regarding who gave what, where and when so that artist teams can identify the activism-oriented segments of their fanbases.
“Our goal isn’t to turn every artist into an activist,” says Hall. “This work isn’t for everyone. However, we do want to make sure that any artist practicing activism, or who may be inclined to do so, has the tools and support so that, when they decide to speak out about what’s important to them, their message reaches the broadest possible audience and drives the greatest financial impact possible to the communities and concerns they are supporting.”
Hall adds that this goal makes label and distribution partners essential to ShowUp’s work.
“Providing a scalable platform for artists to raise awareness and engagement while delivering impactful, measurable results for causes they support enhances our value proposition in meaningful ways,” The Orchard president/COO Colleen Theis adds in a press release. “We are proud to partner with ShowUp to make advocacy and fundraising integral components of The Orchard’s client offering.”
“We all know ‘why’ this work is imperative, but many of us get lost at ‘what’ and ‘how,’” added ADA Worldwide president Cat Kreidich. “ShowUp helps answer these questions, and has been a valuable and practical starting point for our artists and teams as we all consider our potential for impact.”
Added Downtown Music Holdings chief commercial officer Tracy Maddux: “Activism is becoming an increasingly important part of how creators interact with their audience and the world around them. ShowUp provides them a platform to do this authentically and effectively and Downtown is a proud partner in helping make their voices heard.”
“Integrating the ShowUp platform allows our artists to seamlessly support the things that matter to them,” said EMPIRE chief product officer Stephen White. “When artists make these commitments, our artist teams have an incredibly powerful new marketing tool that not only drives advocacy and fundraising, but new channels of fan and streaming engagement. Everyone benefits.”
Sean Heydorn was promoted to the joint role of senior vp of Rise Records and frontline catalogue at BMG. The announcement follows last week’s news that BMG has fully integrated its catalog and new release recordings businesses. In his new dual role, Heydorn will continue leading Rise Records while overseeing a newly-established frontline catalog team that will be responsible for marketing recent releases (i.e. projects designated as having been released 18 months ago or more) while ensuring the ongoing success of frontline music. The Los Angeles-based executive will continue reporting to executive vp of recorded music Dan Gill. Heydorn can be reached at sean.heydorn@bmg.com.
Tricia Arnold was promoted to executive vp of global artist/label services and sales at The Orchard, up from her prior role of senior vp of global label management and sales. Arnold will continue overseeing the company’s global distribution strategy and international sales and label services teams. The New York-based executive, who was named to Billboard‘s Women in Music List in 2023, will continue reporting to president/COO Colleen Theis. She can be reached at tarnold@theorchard.com.
Tim Plumley was promoted to vp of media and artist relations at UMe, the global catalog company of Universal Music Group. In the role, Plumley will strategize and execute 360-degree catalog media campaigns for both frontline album releases and catalog initiatives. Based in Los Angeles, he reports to executive vp of media and artist relations Sujata Murthy. Plumley can be reached at Tim.Plumley@umusic.com.
Sony Music Entertainment UK relaunched Epic Records UK and appointed Sarah Lockhart as president of the revamped label, effective May 1. Epic Records UK will relaunch as a frontline label alongside other Sony Music labels including RCA and Columbia. Lockhart takes on the role following a stint at Sony Music Publishing, where she was head of A&R for three years.
Jeff Geasey joined Page 1 Management as GM, West Coast out of Los Angeles. In the role, Geasey will sign new creators, service existing clients and work closely with Page 1 founder/CEO Ashley Page. He joins from Fast Casual Management, which he co-founded. Geasey can be reached at Jeff@page1management.com.
Sound Royalties announced several hires and promotions. On the promotions front, Shaun Kilmartin was named vp of technology and special projects; Allison Portlock was named vp of marketing; Marysol Aldaba was named royalty support manager; Emma Blake was named administration manager; Bryan Fried was named royalty analyst manager; Erin Regan was named marketing manager; and Kimberly Guisao was named digital marketing coordinator. New hires include Michael Aufiero as royalty specialist; Leandro Castro as junior systems administrator; Nicole Hanrahan as data management specialist; Natasha Mikazens as royalty specialist; Yvonne Swaby as accounting manager; Zachary Vega as royalty analyst; Kateleen Vera as royalty support specialist; and Christian Vernis as junior royalty specialist. Portlock can be reached at allison@soundroyalties.com.
Abby Sprague was promoted to vp of marketing at Mom+Pop Music. In her new role, she will run global campaigns for Mom+Pop artists and expand her roster to include SEB, Frances Forever and the newly-signed act Goth Babe.
Veteran music PR executive Cara Wodnicki departed her role as executive vp of publicity at BMF to launch her own firm, CSW Publicity. She will bring her personal roster of clients to the new company, including AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys, J-pop act Perfume, Emergency Tiara, RADWIMPS and Canadian pop singer Olivia Lunny. She can now be reached at Cara@CSWPublicity.com.
J.R. Johnson was named director of communications at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He joins from Refinery29, where he served as senior director of talent relations/special projects; he has also served in comms roles at Warner Bros. Records and Sunshine Sachs & Associates, among others.
Justin Levenson was named professional services product lead at OpenPlay, a leading asset management platform for the music industry. In his new role, Levenson will work with OpenPlay’s engineering team, clients and other stakeholders to ensure the platform is operating properly and meeting client needs, among other duties. He joins the company from Utopia Music, where he served as commercial director of financial services/senior product manager. Levenson can be reached at justin.levenson@openplay.co.
Emilia Huneke-Bergquist joined Stand Together Music to direct project management and events for the organization, which “unites the music industry, musicians, and their teams with proven change-makers to co-create solutions, starting with criminal justice, addiction recovery, education, free speech and peace, and ending the war on drugs,” according to a press release. Huneke-Bergquist will lead a cross-functional team of project managers and event professionals in facilitating marketing and communications efforts along with in-person and virtual experiences across the Stand Together community. Before officially joining the organization, she had previously worked with Stand Together on various partnerships. She can be reached at ehuneke-bergquist@standtogether.org.
Kylie Dembek was named country music project manager at ONErpm. She joins the company from Big Machine Label Group, where she worked as a strategic planning manager helping artists develop their radio and marketing strategies. In her new role, she will focus on creating and implementing release and marketing strategy for emerging and established artists. Dembek can be reached at kylie@onerpm.com.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum named two new additions to its staff: Dave Paulson, who joins as writer-editor in the museum services department, and Austin Taylor, who was named director of event sales. Paulson will contribute to exhibitions, museum publications, public programs, online offerings and other educational initiatives; he was previously a reporter at The Tennessean. Taylor will lead the events and culinary department’s sales team while also being responsible for the event sales annual revenue goal. He was most recently senior sales manager with both the Hilton and HEI hotel brands and previously worked at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum between 2011 and 2017.
Away co-founder/CEO Jen Rubio has joined the board of directors at tvg hospitality, the venue group founded by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons.
Matthew Schonfeld and RaShaad Strong used to play a simple game to pass the time while working at Manhattan’s Only NY boutique.
“We started going on SoundCloud to find the artist with the least followers [who had] the song that was more fire than the next one,” Schonfeld says. The pair would alternate playing “SoundCloud rabbit hole” finds from now-established acts. While Strong usually had the best picks, Schonfeld unwillingly admits, both music lovers emerged as winners.
In 2016, the duo began their music discovery podcast Not97 — its name, of course, a “tongue-in-cheek” reference to renowned New York hip-hop FM station Hot97. “We love Hot97,” Schonfeld says. “It does its thing for [big] artists, and we’re going to do what we do for [emerging] artists.”
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Five years later, Not97 was picked up by Human Re Sources and The Orchard after seven seasons, and recently landed at No. 2 on the Apple Music Podcasts Chart. Along with their newest co-host Athena Yasaman, the trio of music lovers — who double as professional managers, curators and fashion industry creators — search the depths of the internet to find the best under-underground artists and pass the aux back and forth, highlighting their favorite finds across genres.
“What I liked most about Not97 is how it felt similar to our mission as a company of being disruptive,” says Human Re Sources CEO and EVP of creative development at Sony Music, Jay Erving. “They have a very high taste level and batting average in terms of picking artists that are ultimately going to have success.”
Each episode also features guests who bring two of their own music picks — including fashion designers, curators, DJs, A&Rs, music journalists, artists, music executives and directors. This season’s guests will include artists Jordan Ward, Fana Hues and Alex Vaughn.
“[Not97] has given artists an outlet that’s less abrasive,” explains co-founder Strong. “We’re one of the few platforms that if you come on to the show, we’re not even going to ask you many questions about your actual artistry. It’s a safe space.”
Instead, the artists spend their time uplifting other artists smaller than them that they admire, leaning into a community-based approach that is uncommon in the world of music interviews.
Founded in 2016, Not97 carved out its own uncharted space amidst an influx of music podcast start-ups, including Drink Champs and The Joe Budden Podcast (formerly known as I’ll Name This Podcast Later), among others. While wildly popular podcasts from known veteran music personalities like N.O.R.E., Joe Budden and Angie Martinez have thrived with superstar guests, co-founders Schonfeld and Strong made a name for themselves by leaning into the exact opposite.
“I got bored of blogs — I didn’t feel like I was finding new music there,” Schonfeld explains. “I was trying to figure out how I could effect some sort of change within music discovery for young artists. The podcast is kind of built as a means to an end for that.”
Schonfeld’s strategy has remained the same over the years: going down those SoundCloud rabbit holes in the hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. And his strategy has worked: Not97 featured Baby Keem, King Princess, Giveon, Kenny Mason, Arlo Parks, Tierra Whack, Fousheé and plenty of other now-notable acts before their breakout moments.
“You can read 500 words about an artist and still not press play on the song,” he says. “So [we thought], ‘Let’s streamline it and create a way to listen to a podcast and to eight songs.’”
Not only does Not97 expose small artists to an audience of thousands, but the platform has also become a strong networking tool for small acts to secure otherwise inaccessible opportunities. Schonfeld says he and his collaborators spent the first year of Not97 building relationships with artists, reaching out to ask permission before playing their songs. Featuring recorded tracks soon turned to holding full performances, when the team began their Not a Showcase series in Los Angeles and New York, setting the stage for a few acts to perform live for a ticketed audience and creating opportunities for those acts to profit from their art.
Beyond opportunities directly tied to Not97, the podcast allows for the show’s guests to be exposed to music from acts with small audiences. Over the course of nine seasons, Not97 has had music industry guests including artists, sync licensing coordinators, label executives and music journalists, with some artists whose music was featured going on to secure booking agents and performances thanks to their inclusion on episodes.
“When we started this, we didn’t set out to be the biggest podcast — we were using the podcast medium as a means of sharing music,” Schonfeld says. “We were like, ‘This is the easiest way for us to play this music, have these conversations and get it out there.’ In the last, like, four or five years, everybody started a podcast — it’s just gone crazy. That being said, I do think that the music podcast world is still fairly untapped.”
But despite the boom of podcast listenership, some companies are cutting back. In March, NPR announced that it would be canceling four podcasts — Invisibilia, Louder Than a Riot, Everyone & Their Mom and Rough Translation — to close a $30 million budget gap. In an article from NPR announcing the cancellation and a layoff of 10 percent of their staff, the platform attributed the slashing of those podcasts to “advertisers’ growing reluctance to spend money, particularly on podcasting, in an uncertain economy.”
“The problem is a lot of these companies don’t necessarily know what they’re doing with this content,” Schonfeld says. “I don’t think NPR realizes how important what they have is. They’re going to be producing Louder Than a Riot for this whole season and I hope by the end of it, NPR rethinks their [decision].”
When asked if he worries for Not97, Schonfeld is confident. “Not97’s tagline is, ‘Not a podcast, not a radio show.’ That has put us in a space that’s one foot in, one foot out,” he says. “A lot of our success up until now has been on the music side of things. I think of Not97 as an overarching brand and the podcast being the nucleus of that.”
Schonfeld says that the collaboration with Human Re Sources and The Orchard will allow them to provide resources to artists that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. “Having a global distribution platform behind us where I can pitch artists to internal teams that [handle] music distribution, marketing, digital marketing services,” he lists. “The Orchard really builds itself out to be a full support system for artists.”
“Both Spotify, Apple and others are really leaning into podcasts,” says Erving. “I think we’re gonna start to see them behind the paywall, which will lend itself to a lot more revenue in the space.”
When it comes to the future of Not97, co-founder Strong has big plans for expansion. “[We’re thinking about] potentially going to a larger platform to amplify what we already do in terms of video,” he says. “Matt has always wanted to do a label from when I met him, before we even did the podcast. So a label would be the next thing. That was the ultimate goal.”
Sophie Jones was promoted from director of public affairs to chief strategy officer at BPI; she will also serve as interim chief executive until a permanent appointment is made following the recent exit of Geoff Taylor. Coinciding with Jones’ elevation, the communications, independent member services and research & insight department heads will now report directly to Jones alongside the public affairs team.
The Orchard promoted Mary Ashley Johnson to executive vp of sales and artist & label management, U.S. and Canada. The company also named Katie Studley as vp, Nashville. Johnson will continue driving revenue and market share for The Orchard while managing teams responsible for client relationships and high-level strategy on key releases across the U.S. and Canada. Studley will oversee the Nashville office’s day-to-day operations while developing new business relationships and further expanding The Orchard’s presence in Nashville. Based in New York and Nashville, respectively, Johnson and Studley report to COO Colleen Theis.
Longtime senior executive, editor and music historian Jay Orr retired from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum after more than 26 years. He most recently served as executive senior director for research, editorial and content; he also led the museum’s editorial team, overseeing the development of exhibits, publications and more. Orr can now be reached at jayorr@comcast.net.
Web3 company Yuga Labs (Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks, Meebits) appointed Daniel Alegre as CEO, effective the first half of 2023. He succeeds Nicole Muniz, who will stay on as a partner and strategic advisor to the company. Alegre will work closely with Yuga Labs founders Wylie Aronow and Greg Solano to continue growing the business. Alegre most recently served as president and COO of Activision Blizzard.
Roy Hennis was promoted to senior vp of sales and Nik McLeod was named vp of publishing at LyricFind. Hennis will continue to lead his team in LyricFind’s core markets as well as emerging products including Lyric Videos and LyricIQ, while McLeod will oversee the publishing department’s international licensing efforts in key territories and markets.
The Copyright Alliance announced two at-large board members whose terms commenced on Sunday (Jan. 1): Todd Dupler of The Recording Academy, who will serve on the board for a second consecutive term, and Jeff Sedlik of American Photographic Artists. Both will serve two-year terms at the organization.
Kevin Hart‘s multi-platform media company Hartbeat hired Sara Abdulahi as senior vp of people & culture, Annie Ballot as senior vp of global media, Neil Wright as vp of live & experiential and Namon Jones as vp of brand partnerships. The company also promoted Tina Maher to senior vp of brand & franchise management. Abdulahi, who comes from ATTN:, will oversee talent management, compensation and benefits, training and development and employee relations; Balagot, who comes from NBCUniversal, will oversee strategy and distribution of Hartbeat media, including expanding distribution for LOL! Network across all platforms; Wright, who comes from Complex Networks, will oversee live events and experiences; Jones, who arrives with more than 20 years of experience running digital sales, will develop and expand on Hartbeat’s East Coast brand partnerships; and Maher, who joined the company in 2017, will oversee and execute monetization, growth and partnerships strategies for Hartbeat’s owned and operated brands and franchises.
Deezer appointed Ingrid Bojner (Storytel) and Mark Simonian (retired chairman of global TMT investment banking at Credit Suisse) as independent board directors. They were co-opted by the board to replace Alban Gréget and Jeronimo Folgueira, who resigned from their director positions last month. Folgueira will continue as Deezer CEO and work closely with the board of directors on all relevant business matters. Bojner and Simonian’s mandates will extend through the remaining term of their predecessors — or until the annual general meeting is called to approve the financial statements for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2024, and the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2023, respectively.
Artist and music management company UROK hired Tayla Dhyll as head of audience, a newly created role, and Sophie Lane as senior artist manager. Dhyll will be tasked with developing, implementing and managing digital strategies for artists, while Lanez will work on two of UROK’s new management signings. The company also promoted Chris Kasa to senior vp of artist management, making him responsible for new signings and managing the careers of Jade Bird, Lucky Kilmartin and Jo Hill; Afoma Ojukwu to artist relations manager; Steve Sasse to artist and repertoire director across records, publishing and producer management for the entire UROK roster; and Annabelle Scott-Curry to creative director on a consultancy basis, working alongside UROK on Plan B and Jess Glynne.
Beasley Media Group hired Ariana Sheehan as director of digital content strategy. Based in Albany, New York, Sheehan will work closely with vp of digital content Erika Beasley and vp of digital marketing Jennifer Williams to help drive the company’s digital content strategy and grow its audience. She joins from product review and marketing company BestReviews.
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