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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.”
12/29/2023
The year saw K-pop companies making mega moves on a global scale, while the catalog market remained hot.
12/29/2023
Warner Music Group has partnered with British health tech start-up MediMusic to trial “music as medicine” to help relieve pain, anxiety and stress. MediMusic will conduct research testing in several closed randomized controlled trials in both the United States and the United Kingdom that will deliver playlists from the Warner Music catalog to patients and sample groups to observe how they respond to the music in real-time.
“MediMusic’s proprietary algorithms extract the relevant features from the digital DNA of a piece of music, resulting in a fingerprint for healthcare use,” according to a press release, with the help of artificial intelligence, machine learning and patient data. The company then automatically creates personalized 20-minute playlists and plays the music through a streaming device called the MediBeat and a pair of headphones. Patients wear a heart rate monitor on their wrists to monitor the physiological effect of a piece of music.
The release states that initial trials conducted by MediMusic and the UK National Health Service using the MediMusic technology reduced the heart rate of anxious dementia patients by 25%.
Secretly Distribution announced new global multi-year deals with Danger Mouse‘s 30th Century Records, the catalog of singer-songwriter David Gray and Madlib‘s Madlib Invazion. Secretly will support all of 30th Century Records’ new music and back catalog, including vinyl reissues. For the Gray catalog, the company will work with Bella Figura Music to provide the catalog with global digital support and vinyl reissues. And for Madlib Invazion, Secretly will handle distribution for Madlib and the rest of the label, including new music from Madlib expected next year.
Additionally, Secretly announced multi-year contract renewals with three longtime label partners: Captured Tracks, Rhymesayers Entertainment and Run for Cover.
SoundCloud announced partnerships with dance label Helix Records and hip-hop label Payday Records to offer expanded global artist services for emerging electronic and hip-hop artists identified by SoundCloud for a potential signing with one of the labels.
ASM Global and Voltus, a distributed energy resource platform and virtual power plant operator, struck a partnership through which ASM Global-managed venues will be paid for energy reduction efforts across all venues located in wholesale and regulated power markets in the United States. Earlier this year, the ASM Global Acts Foundation announced a plan to convert the company’s venue portfolio into the world’s most sustainable, which includes reducing energy consumption by 25% by 2030 from this year’s baseline and becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Colorado Springs, Colo.-based live entertainment company Notes Live entered into a non-binding letter of intent for a business combination transaction with wine producer Fresh Vine Wine, a company listed on the NYSE American stock exchange. The two parties expect to negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement before the end of January; Notes Live is planning to seek shareholder approval for the transaction at a meeting scheduled for Jan. 31.
The final closing is expected in the second quarter of 2024, subject to closing conditions including approvals by NYSE American of the continued listing of the combined company’s common stock after the closing. The combined company’s common stock would trade on the NYSE American under the ticket “VENU” following the closing.
Notes Live currently operates two entertainment campsites in Colorado Springs and Gainesville, Ga. and is also developing luxury amphitheaters in Colorado Springs; Broken Arrow and Oklahoma City, Okla.; and northern Texas. According to a press release, “The parties expect that the owners of Notes Live would own a substantial majority of the issued and outstanding shares of Fresh Vine common stock on a post-transaction basis, which may be in excess of 90%.”
The Feldman Agency is teaming with Tennis Canada to launch The Bowl at Sobeys Stadium, a new open-air concert venue in Toronto. Located on the York University campus, the Bowl will accommodate up to 9,000 guests and feature private lounges and an onsite restaurant.
Lucas Thomashow, former senior vp at Avex, announced SANA, a new label that will be a joint venture with recently launched artist and label services company Santa Anna (led by Todd Moscowitz and Lee L’Heureux), Sony Music and independent label LISTEN TO THE KIDS (founded by Conor Ambrose). SANA’s partnership with Santa Anna will encompass distribution, marketing and promotion, while the A&R and marketing teams at LISTEN TO THE KIDS (which partnered with Santa Anna in January 2023) will work with SANA on the strategy and development of the label. SANA will be based in LISTEN TO THE KIDS’ studio and offices in L.A.
Production company Jesse Collins Entertainment has signed with CAA for representation. The company, which boasts three divisions — specials, unscripted and scripted — is next slated to produce the 75th annual Emmy Awards. The company’s credits include the American Music Awards, BET Awards, Becoming a Popstar, Cardi Tries, American Soul and The New Edition Story. Founder/CEO Jesse Collins and president Dionne Harmon executive produce all Jesse Collins Entertainment programming; the company has a multi-year, non-exclusive overall deal with Paramount Global.
Lyric licensing and data solutions company LyricFind and music metadata leader Music Story extended and expanded their multi-year relationship. The broader partnership allows Music Story to help further LyricFind’s commercial reach by selling the company’s services to customers in the United States and globally. Prospective customers can also tap Music Story’s U.S. and international metadata services.
“By making Music Story an extension of LyricFind’s services, we’re taking a major step forward in unlocking the power of metadata to help more people discover and enjoy the music they love with lyrics while ensuring that songwriters and copyright holders are fairly compensated for their incredible work,” said LyricFind founder/CEO Darryl Ballantyne in a statement.
B2B streaming media service Tuned Global partnered with the new “artist-centric” streaming platform Sona to help launch Sona’s music service and marketplace, sona.stream. Tuned Global will provide content delivery, tools and reporting services for Sona under the deal, including its content delivery and APIs that will allow fans to create playlists and launch radio stations based on their favorite artists (beginning in 2024).
Co-founded by artist/producer TOKiMONSTA and Laura Jaramillo, Sona allows fans to stream music for free without subscriptions or ads but also to buy SONAs, or digital twins of specific songs that share future streaming rewards with their owners. Artists can choose which songs to auction as SONAs, while fans can purchase songs as SONAs to earn 70% of that song’s future streaming rewards on the Sona platform.
Beats marketplace BeatStars has partnered with software developer Resonant Cavity, creators of the popular mobile studio and vocal effects app Voloco, to integrate with Voloco beginning in January. “Our collaboration with BeatStars will bring the best beat catalog into the most powerful mobile recording studio,” said Patrick Flanagan, CEO/founder of Resonant Cavity, in a statement. “As artists experience studio-quality vocals from Voloco over top-tier beats from BeatStars producers, they’re going to be inspired to create something exceptional.”
The Warner Music Group has signed on to Deezer’s new royalty payment structure in France, which was developed in partnership with Universal Music Group and announced in September, the president of the major label’s French operations confirmed today (Nov. 13). The move, which was first confirmed in a story with French outlet Les Echos, has been in place since Oct. 1, and only covers streams in France, where Deezer is based.
In September, Deezer and UMG announced their new model, which they referred to as an “artist-centric” royalty model aimed at combatting fraud, reducing the royalty pool for so-called “non-artist noise” like white noise and nature sounds, and boosting payouts for what the companies referred to as “professional artists,” or artists who were accumulating 1,000 streams per month from 500 unique listeners. The model replaces the existing pro-rata model, in which rights holders were paid by share of streams, regardless of their stature or content, which is still in place globally.
“We are delighted to partner with Deezer on this artist-centric model which rewards engaging music and demonetizes non-artist noise,” Warner Music France president Alain Veille told the outlet. “Our new deal will benefit creative talent at all stages of their careers and support our ability to invest in the next generation.”
In opting in to Deezer’s new structure, WMG joins UMG and a handful of small indies, while the third major, Sony Music, has so far not signed on. The move comes amid a year’s worth of conversation in the music industry about how to tweak the streaming royalty structure as the amount of tracks being uploaded each day to major services surpasses 100,000, and fraud on services is becoming an increasingly big topic. Universal also announced a royalty review with SoundCloud and TIDAL, while Spotify released its own tweaked model, which has far lower thresholds for artists than Deezer’s and is more narrowly aimed at fraud, rather than at determining the level of streams that constitutes an artist’s professional status.
When Deezer and UMG first announced the new model, it was met with pushback from several corners of the music business, particularly the indie sector, which was concerned about those seemingly-arbitrary levels to qualify as a “professional” and about the one-label study that led to its adoption. And while there is broad consensus in the industry that the model needs to change — including public statements from UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge and WMG CEO Robert Kyncl — there is not universal agreement in how to do so, and there is a possibility that each digital service provider could adopt its own model moving forward.
In initially announcing the model in September, Deezer CEO Jeronimo Folgueira told Billboard that he expected more rights holders than UMG to sign on, and planned on rolling out the new structure globally in the coming year. For now, the model is limited to France.
Spotify is planning to implement changes to its streaming royalty model in early 2024 that would affect the lowest-streaming acts, non-music noise tracks and distributors and labels committing fraud, sources tell Billboard.
Conversations have been going on for weeks with the major record labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, as well as independent labels and distributors, sources say. While the new royalty system will keep its existing pro-rata model, it introduces new floors that will grow the pool for more established artists and rights holders.
The changes to Spotify’s royalty model, which were first reported by Music Business Worldwide, include:
A new threshold of minimum annual streams that a track must meet before it starts to generate royalties. The threshold, according to MBW, will de-monetize tracks that had previously received 0.5% of Spotify’s royalty pool.
Financial penalties for music distributors and labels when fraudulent activity on tracks they have uploaded to Spotify has been detected.
A minimum play-time length that non-music noise tracks, such as bird sounds or white noise, must reach to generate royalties.
The specific benchmarks of these changes and how financial penalties will be calculated or implemented are currently unclear.
Spotify will need new agreements to the royalty structure changes with most record labels and distributors to implement the plan, but that doesn’t mean entirely new licensing renewals. Changes can be made specifically for these elements, sources say. And since the major labels — which all negotiate their deal renewals with Spotify on different timelines — are likely to benefit from the new terms, they are all likely to sign onto them.
When reached for comment, a Spotify spokesperson said in a statement, “We’re always evaluating how we can best serve artists, and regularly discuss with partners ways to further platform integrity. We do not have any news to share at this time.”
The standard, existing pro-rata streaming model has been a major topic of consideration this year, ever since Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge called for an “updated model” for the business that will be “an innovative, ‘artist-centric’ model that values all subscribers and rewards the music they love” in his annual New Year’s letter to staff. Following, UMG announced partnerships with Tidal, Deezer and Soundcloud to explore alternative models, and reports surfaced that similar conversations were underway with the other leading streaming platforms.
In July, during UMG’s second quarter earnings call, Grainge announced a “newly expanded agreement” with Spotify, under which he said “they have committed to continue to work to address” what he outlined as key components to the “artist-centric” approach: Fairly rewarding “real artists with real fanbases” for “the platform engagement they drive”; applying “stricter fraud detection and enforcement systems” and “ensuring real artists don’t have their royalties diluted by noise”; and “better aligning the relationship between artists and fans by promoting greater discovery and promotion of real artists.” Two out of three of these priorities are now being pursued by Spotify.
In September, UMG and Deezer outlined a new model for what they called “artist-centric streaming.” That model was similar, albeit more severe, than what Spotify is planning. It included royalty “boosts” for “professional” artists whose music streamed above a threshold, while promising to crack down on fraud and replace “non-artist noise content” with its own functional music that would be excluded from the royalty pool.
Unlike Spotify — which relies heavily on industry-leading algorithm-recommended playlists and auto-play, lean-back listening — Deezer’s plan also demoted passive listening royalties by “boosting” artists who are actively searched for by users. Unlike Deezer, Spotify is planning to roll this out will all major labels and leading independent labels and distributors.
YouTube is planning to roll out a new artificial intelligence tool that will allow creators to make videos using the voices of popular recording artists — but inking deals with record companies to launch the beta version is taking longer than expected, sources tell Billboard.
The new AI tool, which YouTube had hoped to debut at its Made On YouTube event in September, will in beta let a select pool of artists to give permission to a select group of creators to use their voices in videos on the platform. From there, the product could be released broadly to all users with the voices of artists who choose to opt in. YouTube is also looking at those artists to contribute input on that will help steer the company’s AI strategy beyond this, sources say.
The major labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, are still negotiating licensing deals that would cover voice rights for the beta version of the tool, sources say; a wide launch would require separate agreements. As label leaders have made public statements about their commitments to embracing AI in recent months, with UMG CEO Lucian Grainge saying the technology could “amplify human imagination and enrich musical creativity in extraordinary new ways” and WMG CEO Robert Kyncl saying, “You have to embrace the technology, because it’s not like you can put technology in a bottle” — some music executives worry they’ve given up some of their leverage in these initial deals, given that they want to be seen as proponents of progress and not as holding up innovation. Label executives are especially conscious of projecting that image now, having shortsightedly resisted the shift from CDs to downloads two decades ago, which allowed Apple to unbundle the album and sent the music business into years of decline. Some executives say it’s also been challenging to find top artists to participate in the new YouTube tool, with even some of the most forward-thinking acts hesitant to put their voices in the hands of unknown creators who could use them to make statements or sing lyrics they might not like.
The labels, sources say, view the deal as potentially precedent-setting for future AI deals to come — as well as creating a “framework,” as one source put it, for YouTube’s future AI initiatives. The key issues in negotiations are how the AI model is trained and that artists should have the option to opt-in (or out); and how monetization works — are artists paid for the use of their music as an input into the AI model or for the output that’s created using the AI tool? While negotiations are taking time, label sources say YouTube is seen as an important, reliable early partner in this space, based on the platform’s work developing its Content ID system that identifies and monetizes copyrighted materials in user-generated videos.
Publishing, meanwhile, is even more complicated, given that even with a small sampling of artists to launch the tool at beta there could be hundreds of songwriters with credits across their catalogs — which would be sampled by the model. Because of this, a source suggests that YouTube may prefer paying a lump sum licensing fee rather that publishers will need to figure out how to divide among their writers.
As complicated as the deal terms may be, sources say music rights holders are acting in good faith to get a deal done. That’s because there’s a dominant belief this sort of technology is inevitable and if the music business doesn’t come to the table to create licensing deals now, they’ll get left behind. However, one source familiar with the negotiations says this attitude is also putting music companies at a disadvantage because there is less room to drive a hard bargain.
For months, AI-soundalike tools that synthesize vocals to sound like famous artists have been garnering attention and triggering debate. The issue hit the mainstream in April when an anonymous musician calling himself Ghostwriter released a song to streaming services with soundalike versions of Drake and The Weeknd on it that he said were created with artificial intelligence. The song was quickly taken down due to copyright infringement on the recording, not based on the voices’ likenesses, but in the aftermath a month later Billboard reported that the streaming services seemed amenable to requests from the major labels to remove recordings with AI-generated vocals created to sound like popular artists.
In August, YouTube announced a new initiative with UMG artists and producers it called an “AI Music Incubator” that would “explore, experiment and offer feedback on the AI-related musical tools and products,” according to a blog post by Grainge at the time. “Once these tools are launched, the hope is that more artists who want to participate will benefit from and enjoy this creative suite.” That partnership was separate from the licensing negotiations currently taking place and the beta product in development.
On Wednesday, UMG, Concord Music Group, ABKCO and other music publishers filed a lawsuit against AI platform Anthropic PBC for using copyrighted song lyrics to “train” its software. This marked the first major lawsuit in what is expected to be a key legal battle over the future of AI music, and as one source put it a signal that major labels will litigate with AI companies they see as bad players.
Following Hamas’ attacks throughout Israel this past weekend and Israel’s current bombardment of Gaza, the three major labels, along with the Recording Academy, have released statements condemning Hamas. In a statement posted Thursday to X, the platform previously called Twitter, Warner Music Group wrote, “We condemn the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and the […]
The Warner Music Group announced former longtime Google executive Carletta Higginson as its new executive vp/chief digital officer today (Oct. 10). Higginson, who will join the company Oct. 16, replaces outgoing evp of business development/chief digital officer Oana Ruxandra, who announced her departure Oct. 4 after five years with the label group. Higginson is the […]
This week, EA Sports released the latest installment of its long-running soccer video game series, this year re-branded as EA Sports FC 24 after a long-running licensing deal with FIFA expired last year. And the demand, despite the new title, has been massive: The game debuted at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and sold 6.8 million copies worldwide in its first week, according to the Financial Times — a 25% boost over the early access sales of FIFA ’23.
That’s a big deal for the music business. Gaming and music have always been intertwined, but EA’s soccer series has sparked a closer relationship with its soundtrack songs than most; in a phenomenon called FIFA Songs, gamers form nostalgic attachments to the music they hear while playing. And because soccer is a truly global sport, the soundtracks to the games over the years have often been global affairs, with both established acts and rising artists from around the world included and exposed to audiences — many of them young — for hours each week as they play.
This year’s edition is no different, with a soundtrack that includes more than 100 tracks from artists hailing from 30-plus countries across six continents. Warner Music Group won one of EA Sports FC 24‘s biggest synchs, landing the coveted slot in the game’s official launch trailer with Royal Blood’s “Trouble’s Coming.” The company also received placements for some established hits (Myke Towers’ “LALA” from Warner Music Latin; Ninho and Central Cee’s “EuroStar” from Warner Music France) as well as up-and-coming acts, like Ezekiel’s “there she goes” (Warner Records) and an unreleased track from KING, “We Are the Ones” (Warner Music India). And that helps Warner Music Group’s executive vp of global sync and U.S. visual media licensing Ron Broitman earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
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Here, Broitman — whose remit goes beyond just video games to include film and TV and advertising syncs for the label’s global roster — breaks down how the label worked with EA to include songs on the soundtrack, as well as the effect of such a huge placement on an artist’s career. “Being placed in a game like this brings a track to millions of fans worldwide and can lead to meaningful streaming and consumption spikes,” Broitman says. “For developing artists it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to a massive, captive audience that maybe wouldn’t have heard their music otherwise.”
This week, the new EA Sports soccer video game, EA Sports FC 24, was the United Kingdom’s highest-selling video game release, and Warner Music has a significant presence on its influential soundtrack, including in the main trailer. What’s the process for getting a song on the soundtrack, and how did the placements for this one come together?
This project is an amazing display of collaboration involving WMG’s recorded music repertoire from all over the world. We’re unique in the fact that we don’t operate within traditional synch borders, we’re one cohesive global synch team, so our partners have direct and open access to all of our local experts from around the globe. With EA, we’ve built a very close, trusting relationship with them over many years — a major testament to the top-notch global gaming community we have within our synch and U.S. frontline label teams. From there, it’s really a multi-layered, ongoing process, but there’s a regular dialogue and sharing of relevant new releases from our U.S. teams and our teams around the world including in the U.K., France, Sweden and LatAm, among others. Especially when dealing with a game with as much global popularity as FC 24, it’s key to involve as many teams around the world as possible so that the final soundtrack is representative of all the great, global music in the WMG family.
How do you decide what songs to put forward for the soundtrack?
Our global synch gaming experts focus on many factors, but above all, we make sure every recording is authentic and that there’s a natural connection between the artist, the game, the fans and the musical energy that our partner is looking for. Of course, we also consider artist albums and new release cycles as we know synch placements — especially in gaming — have the potential for incredible exposure. EA particularly has built a reputation for music discovery which creates a huge lane for pitching artists at any stage in their career. That’s why on this soundtrack you’ll see massive tracks like Myke Towers’ “LALA” that everyone already loves, alongside tracks like “there she goes” from newcomer Ezekiel so that we can hopefully introduce fans to what will become their next favorite song.
Soccer, more than sports like baseball or American football, is a truly global game. How does that factor into your thinking when choosing songs or artists for a game like this, vs. something like the Madden franchise?
With a game like FC 24, there’s an opportunity to showcase a diverse group of artists that cross genres and borders because we know there are fans from all over the world playing. We aim to make sure everyone listening hears something that they feel resonates with them, and it’s also a great way to introduce local talent to a global audience. At WMG, we’re lucky to have such a standout group of artists from every corner of the globe, so it makes our jobs easier — or harder, actually. Our representation on this soundtrack speaks to this approach — from India’s KING to France’s Ninho to Sweden’s Baby Mala to Puerto Rico’s Myke Towers to the U.K.’s Sam Gellaitry and many more.
What effect can a placement in a huge game like this have on a song’s success, or on an artist’s career?
The impact is undeniable. Being placed in a game like this brings a track to millions of fans worldwide and can lead to meaningful streaming and consumption spikes. For developing artists it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to a massive, captive audience that maybe wouldn’t have heard their music otherwise. We’re already seeing this happen with Ezekiel, who I’d mentioned, as well as with swim school, and many others. Players aren’t just enjoying the music in-game passively, they’re actively seeking it out and consuming it elsewhere. The ultimate goal of course is that we convert those players into fans, and they follow along on an artist’s journey. That’s one of the many benefits of a music company like ours, there’s a dedicated team exploring these types of opportunities that have the potential to be a game-changer for an artist’s career.
How does the demographic of those who regularly play video games factor into that effect?
FC 24 draws an audience of all ages, but we know there’s a large number of players in the Gen Z demographic. This group, more than any other generational cohort, reports that they discover and actively seek out music that they hear when they’re gaming. So we know we have an incredible opportunity to introduce new music and artists to this young group who may still be developing their musical tastes, and there’s a high likelihood that we can turn these players into fans.
How does a synch in a soundtrack for a game like this compare to a synch for a TV ad or a film trailer?
Music has always had a really close connection with gaming, maybe even more so than any other visual form. With gaming, you have engaged players that will play every single day and be hearing these songs over and over again. It’s an incredible amount of exposure as far as sheer number of listening hours. With this game specifically, there’s also a really interesting phenomenon called “FIFA songs” where avid players say they develop a strong, lifelong connection with the songs that they hear while they’re playing. Even years later, hearing one of these songs can bring back nostalgic, happy memories associated with playing the game. So the impact that these songs can have can really last a lifetime.
The Warner Music Group’s chief digital officer Oana Ruxandra is leaving the label, according to company emails obtained by Billboard.
The top-level exec, who also held the title of executive vp of business development, led the major label group’s digital strategy since her promotion to her current role in April 2020. She first joined WMG in December 2018, when she was hired as executive vp of new business channels / chief acquisitions officer, then a newly-created role at Warner under then-CEO Stephen Cooper. Her next move is currently unknown; in an internal memo to staff, Ruxandra implied that current Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl had a replacement lined up already.
During Ruxandra’s tenure, she led Warner’s push into the gaming and web3 arenas, including investments in Roblox and Overwolf, partnerships with Snap and NFT platforms OneOf and Blockparty, and negotiated deals with Twitch, Peloton, TikTok, Meta, avatar company Genesis and Spotify’s podcast division, among several others. She has often been credited with positioning the company to take advantage of technological innovations for the future, something that has become increasingly important as the industry begins to grapple with the effects of AI.
“Oana’s been a key player in — and fierce advocate for — the evolution of both this company and the industry at large,” Kyncl wrote in an internal memo obtained by Billboard. “She has not only helped us vault many challenges, but drive streaming revenue, while exploring and developing new paths and platforms that will maximize value for our talent, our team, and our company.”
Prior to returning in 2018, Ruxandra spent four years at WMG in the early 2010s, rising to vp of digital strategy and business development, before moving to Universal Music Group as senior vp of digital strategy and partnerships in 2016. Before her time in the record label business, she spent several years working in finance at Constellation Capital Management and BlackRock.
“I leave WMG knowing it’s well positioned for a bold, bright future: Not least with our core streaming partners and evolving social media platforms and fitness players; we’ve also been the first to forge innovative partnerships with a wide, diverse, and thriving network of gaming, Web3, and AI companies,” Ruxandra wrote in an internal memo obtained by Billboard. “At the same time, we’ve acquired and created new businesses for WMG, including Interval Presents, our podcasting unit, and IMGN, our social media publisher. … The last decade has been a wonderful wild ride; we’re once again at the heart of seismic shifts and massive opportunities. I wholeheartedly believe that the future of our industry lies in the dynamic relationship between artist and fan, and the incredible explosion in creative and commercial possibilities created by that interplay.”
Read Ruxandra’s full note below.
Hi everyone,
I wanted to let you know that I’ll be leaving WMG. Robert and I have been discussing my role for a while now, and I’ve decided it’s time for a change, one where I explore even further my entrepreneurial spirit. Look out for an announcement about my next move. I know Robert has plans for my successor and you’ll be hearing from him about that soon.
Like so many of you, my primary motivation is always our artists and their music. It’s an incredible honor and responsibility to help grow their careers, expand their revenue streams, and champion their rights. I’ve loved being part of this team, dreaming big and driving change. I’ve spent eight out of the past ten years of my music career here, and I’m very proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.
I leave WMG knowing it’s well positioned for a bold, bright future: Not least with our core streaming partners and evolving social media platforms and fitness players; we’ve also been the first to forge innovative partnerships with a wide, diverse, and thriving network of gaming, Web3, and AI companies. At the same time, we’ve acquired and created new businesses for WMG, including Interval Presents, our podcasting unit, and IMGN, our social media publisher.
The last decade has been a wonderful wild ride; we’re once again at the heart of seismic shifts and massive opportunities. I wholeheartedly believe that the future of our industry lies in the dynamic relationship between artist and fan, and the incredible explosion in creative and commercial possibilities created by that interplay.
Above all, I’m most proud of the extraordinary team we’ve assembled, which has evolved into the absolute best in the business. I want to thank them for their passion, dedication, and above-and-beyond hard work. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you all accomplish in the future.
My last day in the office will be next Friday. In the meantime, I want to thank Robert, Steve, Len, and the Board of Directors for the opportunity to help grow WMG. I’ve made many friends here and I’ll see you all soon.
Keep in touch - I’ll be rooting for you,
Oana