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Time to drop the needle on the latest Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music.
Read on for (mostly) good news and also check out Billboard‘s annual list of top executives leading the live sector, plus our weekly interview series spotlighting a single c-suiter, our helpful calendar of notable events, and have you ever wanted to look at tchotchkes inside the office of an executive while reading their in-depth answers to the most important questions facing the biz? From the Desk Of is probably your jam.
Daniel Lang was elevated to senior vp of global society relations and digital rights at Warner Chappell Music, reporting to CEO Guy Moot. Based in London, Lang will manage relations with U.S. and international collection societies, focusing on optimizing digital income flow and ensuring timely payments to songwriters. He’ll also represent Warner Chappell in negotiations with DSPs including Spotify and YouTube, among others. Since joining Warner Chappell in 2017, Lang has held key digital licensing roles, strengthening relationships with partners and modernizing practices with collection societies. Promoted to vp in 2021, his efforts have improved payment processes for songwriters. WCM CEO Guy Moot praised Lang’s management of both digital licensing and society relations, adding, “It was an experiment to combine these remits and it paid off handsomely. I’m delighted that he’s agreed to take on this expanded global role as I know our writers will continue to benefit from his proactive, collaborative and inventive approach.”
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Mavin Global chief operating officer Tega Oghenejobo has added president to his title at the Nigerian record label, effective immediately. Oghenejobo, who joined Mavin in 2012, has been instrumental in Mavin’s rise as an African music powerhouse, fostering talent development — the label’s roster includes Rema, Tyra Starr and others — and securing strategic alliances, such as with Universal Music Group, which purchased a majority stake in the compny earlier this year. Under Oghenejobo’s guidance, Mavin’s international wins include Rema’s “Calm Down” remix with Selena Gomez, which became the first Afrobeats track to reach over a billion Spotify streams, while Ayra Starr’s album “The Year I Turned 21” made her the first Nigerian female artist to chart on the Billboard 200. As president and COO, Tega aims to elevate Mavin’s global reach and boost its roster. Mavin CEO Don Jazzy praised Tega’s leadership and is confident in his vision to propel the company further. “Tega has been a cornerstone of Mavin’s success since day one,” said Jazzy. “His leadership, vision, and deep industry insights have been vital in shaping the label’s growth. His promotion to President and COO is a testament to his remarkable achievements, and I am confident he will continue to lead Mavin to even greater heights.”
Warner Chappell Music Korea appointed Sophia Hong as managing director, effective immediately. Reporting to WCM APAC president Arica Ng, the Seoul-based Hong will lead the company’s South Korean music publishing operations, focusing on market presence and business growth. Her role includes developing strategic initiatives, leading teams and identifying growth opps. Hong brings experience from roles at companies like Kakao Corp, MTV, Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop in both the U.S. and Asia. “Her unique insights, fresh perspective and curiosity about new approaches will enrich our work,” praised Ng. “We are committed to empowering songwriters and fostering collaboration, and with Sophia on board, we are well-positioned to create deeper connections with fans. We will collaborate closely to ensure that their voices are heard and their stories leave a lasting impact globally.”
Jayce Varden joined SongVest as chief strategy officer to spearhead the development of Songshares, a platform that enables fans to purchase fractional royalty shares in songs. Varden, who co-founded PledgeMusic and raised over $100 million through its crowdfunding campaigns, brings experience in fan engagement and artist support to the royalty investment platform. Additionally, Varden co-founded channl, a platform focused on audience engagement, and contributes as an advisor at Berklee Online. SongVest CEO Sean Peace praised Varden’s expertise in fan experiences and his alignment with the company’s mission to democratize music ownership. “Jayce’s pioneering work with PledgeMusic set a new standard for fan engagement, and his expertise in building unique fan experiences aligns perfectly with SongVest’s vision,” said Peace. “Together, we are taking the next step in democratizing music ownership for fans while empowering artists.”
TuneCore appointed Atticus Shelley as vice president of finance, reporting to chief financial and strategy officer Matt Barrington. Shelley will lead the company’s financial strategies, manage the finance team, boost efficiencies and will also provide financial insights to guide expansion efforts and other top-level decisions. Shelley brings extensive experience from roles at Hulu, Spotify, and Investi Financial Inc., where he recently served as executive director of finance. At Spotify, he was the founding director of the company’s financial planning and analysis team and was instrumental in the DSP’s rapid global expansion. In announcing the appointment, Barrington highlighted TuneCore’s focus on scaling its offerings and supporting independent artists, expressing confidence in Shelley’s leadership to drive financial operations and “act as a key partner to the business around our artist development and growth strategies.”
The Country Music Association‘s senior director of integrated marketing Michelle Kirk will transition to the CMA Foundation as senior director, effective Dec. 1. In the new role, Kirk will be instrumental in the strategic planning, program development, operational oversight and directing of the foundation’s inititatives. Kirk first joined the CMA in 2012 as strategic partnerships coordinator, and moving into a senior manager role before transitioning to WME as a brand partnerships agent in 2015. Kirk rejoined CMA in 2019 and was promoted to the senior director, integrated marketing role earlier this year. –Jessica Nicholson
Music industry veteran Latoya Lee joined Berklee as the director of industry and employer engagement. In the role, she’ll support students’ talent development and help them establish connections within the industry, promoting both creative and professional growth. Lee launched her industry career at Konvict Muzik/BuVision ENT, advancing from an assistant to an A&R executive. During a six-year run at Warner Music Group, where she rose to senior director of A&R, Lee contributed to Trey Songz albums, Flo Rida’s “GDFR” and the Furious 7 and Suicide Squad soundtracks. She also collaborated with Berklee grad Charlie Puth on his hit “See You Again” and signed Xenia Manasseh to a publishing deal. Later, as vp of creative at Atlas Music Publishing, Lee supported Grammy-winning projects, including Nas’s King’s Disease III.
Downtown Music‘s direct-to-creator division, CD Baby, promoted Nicholas Salomone to senior vp of business development and revenue, overseeing strategic partnerships and revenue growth across CD Baby and its services. He began his tenure at CD Baby in 2017 as senior content ID analyst, rising through the ranks to his more recent role as vice president of business developments and partnerships. Based in Seattle, Salomone reports to CD Baby president Molly Neuman, who said his “deep understanding of independent artists and their needs, along with his ability to foster strong relationships with our key revenue partners, make him the perfect leader for this role.” –J.N.
Leif Janzen joined Red Bull Records as vp of digital marketing, reporting to chief marketing officer Nikki Cox. In this role, Janzen will lead fan engagement and music discovery, focusing on platform development, partner management, paid media strategy and content creation for the label, home to Blxst, Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. and others. With over a decade of digital marketing experience, Janzen previously served as senior director of digital marketing at Capitol Music Group, working with artists like Aidan Bissett and Young Miko. He also held roles at Warner Music Group’s ADA, Victory Records, and worked as a talent buyer/media manager in Chicago.
Killphonic Rights strengthened its leadership team after securing funding from Stilwell Creative Capital. Industry veterans Syd Butler and Michelle Fantus join as co-heads of A&R. Butler, founder of Frenchkiss Records, has experience developing artists like Passion Pit, while Fantus brings over 18 years in senior A&R roles at Sony/ATV, Razor & Tie, Concord, and OneRPM, with recent work in creative partnerships at Spotify. Chelsea D’Amico becomes head of sync and creative licensing, adding a decade of experience from Mad Decent and Concord, where she worked with artists like Diplo. Michael Grubbs, previously head of A&R, shifts to head of creative, utilizing his background as an artist, producer, and composer. Jill Pedone, former head of sync, is now head of operations, leveraging her expertise from Lava Publishing and Sumerian Records and her longstanding collaboration with CEO Caleb Shreve.
Prodigy Artists promoted Eric Bindman to director of operations, supporting the LA-based music management firm’s growth and expansion. Previously a senior manager at Prodigy, Bindman has managed artists such as Audien, Elephante, Niiko x Swae, and Mattilo. With over 15 years of industry experience, he brings a multi-disciplinary background in artist management, touring, publishing, marketing and logistics. His prior work includes tour-managing acts like Deorro, Two Friends and Gareth Emery. Founded by Steven Haddad and Will Runzel, Prodigy Artists’ roster includes SLANDER, NGHTMRE, HEKLER, Wolfgang Gartner, and Bekon. Haddad and Runzel praised Bindman’s dedication and expertise since joining the company, calling him a “meticulous and skilled artist manager” who’ll “bring invaluable expertise to this next stage of growth.”
Better Noise Music unveiled key promotions and hires to enhance its artist development efforts. Jackie Kajzer has been promoted to senior vice president of radio promotion and artist development, recognized for discovering artists like Five Finger Death Punch. April Ginns is now tour marketing manager, responsible for strategic tour marketing plans. Victor Lang, promoted to managing director of Europe, will oversee BNM’s European initiatives. Finally, Frank Ehlers joined as senior label manager for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (GSA), bringing 20 years of industry experience to support artist growth in the region. BNM president/COO Steve Kline and GM Paul Cormack highlighted the positive impact of these changes, emphasizing the value of Frank’s expertise and the expanded roles of Victor, Jackie, and April. This restructuring reflects BNM’s commitment to a growing roster, which includes From Ashes to Ashes, Bad Wolves and The Hu.
SeatGeek appointed Mike Shane as executive vp of enterprise partnerships to enhance its growth and innovation strategy. Shane brings over ten years of experience from roles with the Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Flyers, and Wells Fargo Center. Reporting to co-founder and president of supply Russ D’Souza, Shane will focus on expanding enterprise partnerships and advancing ticketing technology. D’Souza praised Shane’s industry insight and growth-driven innovation, highlighting his strong track record. “Mike has sat in the chair that our current and future clients are in, and knows the challenges they face as well as their ambitions,” he said.
ICYMI:
Boyd Muir
Universal Music Group’s CFO, Boyd Muir, shifted over to the newly created role of COO … EMPIRE hired Jeffrey Yoo as senior vp of East Asia … Over in Australia, Simone Schinkel stepped down as CEO of Music Victoria … UTA appointed Kirk Taboada, a veteran in the live Latin music scene, as an agent within its music division … Goldenvoice unleashed a new round of promotions within its talent buying group … and Dick Clark Productions appointed Diana Miller as evp of talent. [KEEP READING]
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French music company Believe benefitted from “healthy” paid streaming growth as its third-quarter revenue grew 9.1% to 215 million euros ($197.6 million at the quarter’s average exchange rate), the Paris-based company announced Tuesday (Oct. 24).
The owner of distributor TuneCore and labels such as Groove Attack and Naïve said organic revenue growth of 7.5% would have been 15.4% without the impact of the currency translation within the digital royalties it receives from its digital partners. Paid streaming “remained strong,” the company stated in its earnings release, although revenue was not yet impacted by recent price increases “due to their deployment calendar in some markets.”
Revenue grew 25.9% to 66.9 million euros ($61.5 million) in Europe outside of Believe’s two single largest markets, France and Germany, accouting for 31.1% of total revenue. The company cited particularly strong growth in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe and Turkey. The addition of Liverpool-based Sentric, acquired from Utopia Music in March, helped revenue growth in the United Kingdom. Revenue was up only 0.7% in France, which accounted for 16% of total revenue, after growing more than 40% in the prior-year quarter. Revenue dropped 6.4% in Germany due to non-digital sales being down “strongly” as Believe moved away from contracts it believes were too weighted in physical sales and merchandise.
Revenue from Asia Pacific and Africa grew 6.6% to 55.8 million euros ($51.3 million) and accounted for 25.9% of total revenue. The company was helped by increased paid streaming penetration in the region but hurt by soft ad-supported streaming and a stronger euro against local currencies. Greater China was particularly strong, while Japan was aided by Believe’s roll-out of its Premium Solutions offering. The Americas accounted for 14.4% of Believe’s revenue and grew 8.4% in the quarter; Brazil and Mexico were particularly strong, the company said.
Believe is comprised of two segments, Premium Solutions and Automated Solutions. Premium Solutions revenue rose 10.1% to 202.9 million euros ($186.5 million). Automated Solutions, which includes TuneCore, dropped 4.5% to 12.1 million euros ($11.1 million) due to a stronger euro and a challenging comparable period influenced by TuneCore’s launch of unlimited pricing in July 2022.
Looking forward, Believe increased its forecast for adjusted earnings before taxes, interest and amortization margin from 5% at the mid-year mark to 5.5%. The company reiterated its guidance for full-year organic growth of 14%.
Although Believe’s growth slowed in the last two quarters, the company expects its organic growth rate — excluding foreign exchange impacts and the impacts of acquisitions — will recover in the fourth quarter “thanks to solid paid streaming trends enhanced by price increases by some large digital partners, a slight recovery in ad-funded streaming expected at the end of the quarter and additional market share gains,” it stated in the earnings release.
Next year’s revenue will get an additional boost from subscription services following up their recent price increases by further raising prices to 12 euros/$12 per month, said CEO Denis Ladegaillerie during Tuesday’s earnings call. “We definitely expect [price increases] to come. ‘When’ is the question. But it’s going to be 2024, no doubt.”
Total revenue increased 9.1% to 215 million euros ($197.6 million).
Digital sales rose 7.1% while non-digital sales rose 39.6% as reported (12.4% at constant currency and constant perimeter).
Digital sales accounted for 92% of revenue, the same as the prior-year quarter.
Premium Solutions revenue grew 10.1% to 202.9 million euros ($186.5 million).
Premium Solutions’ digital sales rose 16.8% and non-digital sales rose 11.2%.
Automated Solutions revenue dropped 4.5% to 12.1 million.
TV producer and recording industry executive Roey Hershkovitz was named vp of sound & picture at Universal Music Group (UMG), a newly-created position. In the role, Hershkovitz will lead visual content capture across UMG’s studios, develop new programming and build on the company’s immersive audio efforts. Alongside head of video services Joe McCrossan, he will also develop new strategies to build on the company’s multimedia services and capabilities available to record labels, artists and songwriters. In addition to his vp of sound & picture title, Hershkovitz will also serve as head of West Coast studios, where he will continue to oversee Capitol Studios and its ongoing renovation. He was also appointed to UMG’s audio leadership team to drive innovation and audio quality, including Dolby Atmos Music adoption across a broad array of consumer products. Now based out of Santa Monica, Hershkovitz will report to executive vp of digital studios Christopher Jenkins and senior vp of recording studios & archive management Pat Kraus. Prior to his promotion, Hershkovitz was vp of Capitol Studios & Digital Studios.
Rapper Papoose was named head of hip-hop at TuneCore, where he will lead the Believe-owned company’s artist ambassador program for hip-hop and rap, scouting emerging talents, overseeing artist education and career advice workshops and acting as a brand advisor for new programs and technology launches. He’ll report to CEO Andreea Gleeson. In addition to his new executive role, Papoose also announced the release of his new single, “Making Plays” featuring Jim Jones and Jaquae, which drops Feb. 10. He can be reached at papoose@tunecore.com.
Colton McGee was named senior vp of business and legal affairs at Concord Label Group. Based at the company’s Nashville headquarters, McGee will work with executive vp of business and legal affairs Gregg Goldman as a key member of the business and legal affairs team for Concord’s recorded music division. McGee previously spent 13 years at BBR Music Group in Nashville, handling business and legal affairs for both BBR and BMG (the latter since 2017). He can be reached at colton.mcgee@concord.com.
Warner Chappell Production Music (WCPM) will expand into Brazil with a new team based in São Paulo, headed by Renato Moraes. In his role, Moraes will lead a team focused on building out a local repertoire and work to expand the company’s footprint by servicing the region’s film, TV, radio and advertising clients with WCPM’s catalog. The team will also provide custom music services and work to broaden creative partnerships. Moraes will report to vp of licensing & music creative Sinéad Hartmann and work closely with director of strategic, commercial, film, synch and licensing Flávia Cesar. He joins the company from Music Branding Brazil, where he was head of recordings and publishing. Moraes can be reached at Renato.Moraes@warnerchappellpm.com.
Adam Gardiner was named senior vp of international synch at Concord Music Publishing; he joins the company from Universal Music Group’s creative division, Globe, where he served as head of film & TV. In his new role, Gardiner’s purview will include all music publishing synch activity outside the U.S., with the U.K., Germany and Australia synch teams reporting directly to him. He will also coordinate all of the company’s third-party synch activity. Based in London, he reports to president of international publishing John Minch.
Music scholar and musician Jason King was named dean of the USC Thornton School of Music, effective July 1. He currently serves as chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University and also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Popular Music Studies.
Joe Conyers III was named senior advisor to global growth investor Warburg Pincus in their technology group, specifically focusing his efforts on new investment opportunities in music and entertainment companies. Conyers was formerly executive vp and global head of NFT at Crypto.com and chief strategy officer of Downtown Music Holdings; he also co-founded Downtown subsidiary Songtrust. Conyers can be reached at jc@joeconyers.com and his website is joeconyers.com.
Erika Montes was named president at Rostrum Records, where she will lead the company’s growth strategy and oversee frontline label operations. Montes most recently led artist and label relations at SoundCloud, where she served as global vp. She reports to Rostrum founder Benjy Grinberg and can be reached at em@rostrumrecords.com.
Artist manager Andy Robinson and cross asset speculator Sean Stockdale launched Interstellar Music Services, a rights management company that “will primarily be made available to those qualifying artists and songwriters who wish to retain full control of their recordings and compositions,” according to a press release. The company will work to maximize the collection of royalties via a suite of services that includes digital distribution, sync and brand partnerships, metadata cleaning, neighboring rights, publishing administration, DSP repitching and detailed analysis and reporting. Joining Interstellar at launch are David Wille and Sarah Bargiela, who join as global head of sync and brand partnerships and head of copyright and royalties, respectively. Robinson formerly launched Interstellar Music and Interstellar Publishing, which informed the establishment of Interstellar Music Services; Stockdale has 13 years of experience in asset management, with a particular expertise in saber metrics. Wille most recently served as senior vp at Kobalt Music Publishing, while Bargiela was senior income tracking manager at BMG Rights Management.
Ru Ping Gan was named vp of digital, Asia Pacific at Warner Chappell Music, where she will oversee Warner Chappell Music Asia Pacific’s digital strategy and commercial operations while working closely with the global digital and WCM Asia leadership team to help shape international policies that support local songwriters. She will also be tasked with driving digital strategic planning initiatives. Gan, who was most recently vp of revenue and deal strategy, joined WCM Asia Pacific in 2013.
Butch Spyridon, longtime head of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) who has served as president and CEO since 2003, will retire from the organization on June 30, 2023, following 32 years as its top executive. He’ll be succeeded by current president Deana Ivey, who will be promoted to president and CEO effective July 1, 2023. On that date, Spyridon will transition into a role as a strategic consultant to the NCVC under a two-year contract that will see him recruiting major global events to the city, including the Rugby World Cup and, if an enclosed stadium is approved, the Super Bowl.
Patra Sinner was named general counsel at Symphonic Distribution, where she will advise the company’s senior management team on both internal and external legal needs and manage and negotiate partner contracts including DSPs, industry organizations and contractors, as well as record labels, ambassadors and artists. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sinner has been in private practice for nearly 20 years and is also the co-founder of Nashville-based artist management, distribution and label services company Vista 22. She can be reached at patra@symdistro.com.
Meike Nolte was appointed business development manager for b:electronic, the dance & electronic division of Believe. Reporting to b:electronic global director Leigh Morgan, Nolte will be tasked with defining and executing the sourcing and acquisitions strategy for labels and artists within the electronic division. She most recently led Beatport’s artist services department.
Dave Felipe was named director of publicity at Zach Farnum‘s 117 Entertainment, where he will oversee all publicity initiatives for 117’s roster. He was most recently public relations manager for the Mechanical Licensing Collective (the MLC). Felipe can be reached at Dave@117group.com.
Ra-Fael Blanco was promoted to senior vp of media relations & communications for Universal/Virgin Music’s SRG-ILS Group; he was previously vp of media relations. Blanco will continue overseeing PR and media efforts for SRG-ILS clients including Chaka Khan, Brian McKnight and Erica Campbell, among others. He reports to general manager Michael Cusanelli and founder/CEO Claude Villani. Blanco can be reached at Ra-Fael@2rsentandmediapr.com.
Austin-based publicist Trey Hicks launched his own PR agency, Painting Pictures. Joining Hicks in the new venture is Allison Winkler. Hicks previously worked as an account director at Giant Noise and founded Trey Hicks PR. He can be reached at trey@paintingpictures.co.
Lauren Branson joined River House Artists as vp of publicity, where she will develop and execute PR strategies for the company’s roster. She reports to founder and CEO Lynn Oliver-Cline and vp and gm Zebb Luster. Branson joins from BMI, where she served as senior director of media relations for eight years. She can be reached at lauren@riverhouseartists.com.
Amber Morris was hired as global account director – TikTok at Songtradr. In the role, Morris will build and maintain the company’s relationship with TikTok, working with their team to expand the video-sharing platform’s partnership with Songtradr.
TuneCore and Sentric Music Group have renewed and expanded their long-term partnership. The refreshed deal will allow TuneCore’s DIY musicians to use Sentric’s technology and direct global collection network to increase revenue opportunities. The original partnership was formed in 2018, allowing TuneCore artists to submit unlimited songs for a one-time $75 set-up fee and 15% commission with the option for synch services as well.
Big Machine Music — a subsidiary of HYBE America — has signed Troy Cartwright to an exclusive co-publishing deal. Last year, the Texas-born artist was named On the Horizon Artist by SiriusXM channel The Highway. As a songwriter, he has already written with Ryan Hurd, Josh Abbott Band, Nickelback and more.
Warner Chappell Music has signed an agreement with Truth or Dare Publishing to co-develop select artists from the Truth or Dare Management Projects roster. Led by Missi Gallimore, Truth or Dare Publishing’s client list features KK Johnson of Track 45, Ben Roberts of Carolina Story, Mary Gauthier, Abbey Cone and Sam Williams (grandson of Hank Williams).
Bucks Music Group has signed New Zealand-born Molly Payton to an exclusive publishing deal in the U.K. and Europe. She remains signed to Mushroom Music Publishing, which has a longstanding relationship with Bucks, for the rest of the world.
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