A&R Worldwide Newsletter Vol. 840

PETE GANBARG DEPARTS ATLANTIC RECORDS
AND LAUNCHES PURE TONE RECORDS & SIGNS
A&R WORLDWIDE DEVELOPED ARTIST FOREST BLAKK

 

 

DOWNTOWN MUSIC SECURES $500 MILLION (USD)
TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ARTISTS ACCELERATION

 

Downtown Music (Downtown), a leading service provider to the global music industry, recently announced a significant expansion in its capacity to support the independent music community in partnership with Bank of America. Initially established in 2022 with $200 million (USD) of capacity to provide artists and rights holders with advances in exchange for a short-term share of future royalties, the partnership now equips Downtown with an additional $500 million (USD) of advance capacity in the coming years.

This credit facility is designed to enable independent artists, songwriters, labels, and publishers all over the world with ready access to the capital they need to finance their work and grow their businesses on their own terms.

Pieter van Rijn, CEO, Downtown, said “Downtown is at the center of a major shift in the music industry where creators and the businesses that support them are completely aligned. Our clients depend on us for the resources they need to bring their work to life and retain ownership and control of their work. Flexible financing solutions like this are another essential way we can support artists and grow the industry as a whole.”

As a leading service provider to the global music industry, Downtown provides services across multiple rights types, allowing it to extend creative financing solutions to a wide range of artists and rights holders. From distribution and publishing administration to neighboring rights and UGC monetization, Downtown provides customized and combined services to empower it to meet the diverse needs of artists and music companies around the world.

With a continued shift towards the independent artists sector worldwide, Downtown, along with many others are aiming to capitalize on the A&R shift that is beginning to happen, whereas, more A&R executives and companies are focusing efforts on nurturing young talent with long-term career sustainability that exceeds the potential of short-term passive data-driven A&R signings.

 

Respected A&R executive Luis “Lu” Mota has joined Atlantic Records as Executive VP, A&R. Based at Atlantic’s New York City headquarters, he will report to Lanre Gaba, Co-President of Black Music. Mota comes to Atlantic from Columbia Records where he played a pivotal role on the team that discovered and developed Platinum-selling hip-hop stars including Lil Tjay, Polo G, Fivio Foreign, and Joey Bada$$.

In making the announcement, Gaba stated, “Lu is one of the most promising A&R execs I have met in a long time. He has proven his ability to find and nurture talent while delivering hit records. Sharing Atlantic’s unwavering commitment to long-term artist development in black music, he’ll be key in helping us break new acts and deliver great music.”

Luis Mota added, “Atlantic has a rich history of getting in early and championing superstars from the ground up. To now be a part of this dynamic and accomplished team is an honor. There’s so much undiscovered rising talent out there on the global music scene, and I am looking forward to making my mark here.”

Most recently, Mota served as Senior VP, A&R at Columbia Records. After discovering Lil Tjay, Mota brought him to Columbia Records, developing the breakout star and playing a key role in the Bronx native’s success, including his Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 smash “Calling My Phone,” and multi-Platinum hits “F.N” and “Brothers.” Mota and his team also A&R’d Polo G’s “Pop Out,” a record that went Platinum four months after its release and has since gone eight times Platinum. He is also credited with inking a deal between Columbia and Fivio Foreign whose debut album B.I.B.L.E. went on to secure a Top 10 spot on the Billboard 200.

Prior to joining Columbia in 2018, Mota held an A&R role at 300 Entertainment. His expertise has earned him recognition on Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list as well as a pivotal role on the XXL Awards board where he serves alongside many hip-hop industry’s top executives and veteran artists.

 

 

 

 

ANNIE ABERLE NAMED SENIOR VP/HEAD OF CREATIVE AT PULSE MUSIC GROUP: Annie Aberle has been promoted to Sr. Vice President/Head of Creative at PULSE Music Group from her previous position as Vice President of A&R. Aberle’s duties will include signing, developing and applying creative strategy for the label’s roster of songwriters and producers for the publishing division of the company. The A&R team for the publishing division of PULSE Music Group will now report directly to Aberle, and Aberle will report to Scott Cutler and Ashley Calhoun. Since joining PULSE back in 2018, the company states that Aberle has helped the development of its roster by working with the label’s client Tyler Johnson, who co-wrote & produced Harry Styles‘ “As It Was,” as well as nine other songs on the album, Harry’s House. Aberle is also the A&R go-to person for Aldae whose work on “One More Time” with Blink-182 was the highest charting single for the band in 20 years with over 100 million streams, in addition to having collaborated with Justin Bieber, The Kid LAROI, Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes. Scott Cutler and Josh Abraham, Co-Founders, PULSE Music Group said, “With Ashley Calhoun, we have built out a powerhouse publishing A&R team, and, as Ashley grows her senior management role as President of Pulse Music Group, Annie Aberle will continue this incredible legacy of true artist/writer development on the publishing A&R side as Sr. Vice President, Head of Creative. Annie not only is a tremendous leader at PULSE, but she also has impeccable taste. It has been incredible to watch her growth over the last six years and we are excited about her future here.”

 

KOBALT SIGNS IMANI “MOCHA” LEWIS: Kobalt has announced the signing of songwriter Imani “Mocha” Lewis. Mocha recently co-wrote Tyla‘s Grammy-winning song “Water,” as well as eight other songs on the South African artist’s debut album. The track was a Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit, making Tyla the highest-charting African female solo artist ever on the chart. “Mocha is a phenomenally gifted and versatile songwriter whose power to create lyrics and melody are only just now being recognized in the creative community,” said Genevieve Jackson Huguely, Creative Manager, Kobalt. “Her contributions to the success of Tyla’s debut album are just a sampling of what we can expect from her in the coming years. We are thrilled to have her at Kobalt.” Mocha is an actor originally from Southside Jamaica, Queens, and only just recently returned to songwriting as a full-time pursuit. She gained traction, working out of multi-Grammy Award-winning producer Tricky Stewart‘s Sessions Atlanta studio. Her work there led to songwriting credits on P1Harmony’s “Fall in Love Again” and Iggy Azalea‘s “Money Come.” Also, Mocha’s acting credits include Netflix‘s First Kill, Hulu‘s Miguel Wants to Fight, the Baz Luhrmann series The Get Down, and A24′s film Eighth Grade.

 

POSITION MUSIC SIGNS GOLDEN TO WORLDWIDE PUBLISHING DEAL: Tyler Bacon, President & CEO, Position Music, tells A&R Worldwide that Golden has signed a global publishing deal with Position Music alongside a joint venture with Global 7 Publishing. The Grammy-nominated producer has collaborated on projects spanning a plethora of genres such as Reggaeton, R&B, Dancehall, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop, and Pop. Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Golden was discovered by producer Mike Molina and manager and A&R Zev Perilman, later signing to their publishing and record label venture Global 7 Entertainment. In 2023, Golden co-produced a couple of tracks on the ¿Téo? album Luna. In the same year, he also co-produced the track “Double Back” for Coco Jones which hit Top 20 on U.S. Urban Radio. Also, that single was from the album What I Didn’t Tell You, which was nominated for “Best R&B Album” at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. Alongside his recurring collaborator London On Da Track, Golden recently co-produced “Dolla” by Shenseea from her upcoming album Never Gets Late Here, which is released on May 24th. Delmar Powell, Vice President, A&R, Position Music said, “We’re thrilled to welcome the young and talented Golden to the Position Music family. Golden’s unique sound and innovative approach to music production and songwriting make him a perfect fit for our roster. We are excited to collaborate with him and support his artistic vision as he continues to create impactful music across all genres.”

 

SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING SIGNS BRIAN FULLER TO GLOBAL DEAL: Sony Music Publishing Nashville has announced the signing of country music songwriter Brian Fuller to a global publishing deal. Brian Fuller has made a name for himself as one of the most promising new songwriters in Nashville’s country music scene. He recently achieved his first major label cut as a songwriter with “I Could Be That Rain,” which is featured on Randall King‘s 2024 album Into the Neon. Fuller is set to release new music throughout this year including his new single “That Girl Can Drive,” co-written with Joey Hyde and Justin Wilson, which will be available on May 24th. The deal was signed with the support of Aubrey Landon, Director Creative, Sony Music Publishing Nashville who said, “Brian is a special talent – his song sense, unique melodies, and ideas set him apart as one of the most promising young songwriters/artists. We are excited to join forces and be a part of his team!” Brian’s songwriting career first began in 2019 when he moved to Nashville from Savannah, GA. He spent his first few years in Music City writing as much as possible, touring, and perfecting his craft as an artist and songwriter. Since then, he has released several songs as an artist including the singles “Blue Sky Beautiful” and “Tellin’ On You,” and has recently been working on songwriting projects for artists throughout Nashville.

 

WILL BLOOMFIELD JOINS TAP MUSIC AS CO-PRESIDENT & HEAD OF GLOBAL ARTIST MANAGEMENT: Modest! Management executive Will Bloomfield is joining TaP Music as its new Co-President and Head of Global Artists Management. Bloomfield will work side by side with TaP co-founders Ben Mawson and Ed Millett, in addition to Co-presidents Wendy Ong and Anna Neville to lead TaP Management, TaP Futures, and TaP Sports. Bloomfield worked with numerous artists at Modest! Management for two decades including One Direction, Niall Horan, 5 Seconds of Summer, MNEK, PARISI, and others. Bloomfield was featured as an executive for Billboard’s 40 Under 40 in 2019. Ben Mawson and Ed Millett, Co-Founder, TaP said in a statement, “Will joins us at a time of great change in the industry and what we believe is an opportunity for managers and artists. TaP’s founding principle of self-sufficiency informs our approach to management now more than ever, with a range of specialists across all key areas. Will joins with a wealth of experience, to help us shape the next stage in TaP’s development as a global artist services company.”

 

WARNER CHAPPELL NAMES DELIA ORJUELA AS HEAD OF CREATIVE MEXICAN MUSIC: Warner Chappell Music (WCM) has announced Delia Orjuela as Head of Creative Mexican Music/Musica Mexicana. She will report to Gustavo Menéndez, President, U.S. Latin & Latin America, and collaborate with the publisher’s Mexican music writers and artists in the U.S. and Mexico. Orjuela helped lead WCM Latina’s Mexican Music division and has been important in the achievements of WCM artist DannyLux. She will still work closely with the recorded music team and look for cross-collaboration chances between the label and publisher. WCM’s co-chairs, Guy Moot (CEO) and Carianne Marshall (COO), said in a joint statement, “Delia has supported countless songwriters and established a reputation for energizing teams and elevating music. We see enormous potential to create timeless songs in the Mexican music market, and her leadership will help us continue to develop songwriters who shape culture.” Previously, Orjuela worked at BMI for over two decades, eventually leading as VP of the Latin department. She aided the department in signing and developing acts like Juanes, J Balvin, Luis Fonsi, Pitbull, Espinoza Paz, Tucanes de Tijuana, Jenni Rivera, Horacio Palencia, Ximena Sarinana and Pepe Aguilar. Since joining Warner Chappell Latina in 2021, she has constructed the team and spearheaded the division, which now includes a roster of over 15 musicians.

 

BETTER NOISE SELLS HALF OF ITS CATALOG: Better Noise Music (BNM) has had a portion of its catalog sold to RAVEN Capital for a nine-figure sum, the deal was led by label Chairman Allen Kovac. Until recently, the deal was kept secret due to a non-disclosure agreement, which involved the sale of 50% of the label’s catalog, featuring titles from musicians such as Awolnation, Papa Roach, and Escape the Fate. The label’s roster includes artists like Five Finger Death Punch, Asking Alexandria, Bad Wolves, and others. The administration of the sold catalog albums now falls under the purview of Endurance Music Group. Better Noise Music’s dominance in the hard rock and alternative space has only grown since the catalog sale. As of April 22, 2024, BNM had four of the Top 15 tracks in the Active Rock Mediabase radio chart, and BNM had the longest duration No.1 of 202 Alternative Radio Chart with Dirty Heads‘ “Rescue Me.” The transaction was overseen by Tim Mandelbaum and the law firm Fox Rothschild, along with assistance from RBC Bank, Royal Bank of Canada. Dan Waite, CEO, BNM, “The sale of half of the Better Noise Music catalog in 2022 means that many of our ambitions for acquisition and expansion are now possible as Hard Rock and Alternative deals are ending at other labels, Better Noise Music is becoming the natural home for those acts that want major label results with indie label sensibilities and attention to detail. We have the deep pockets to spend on global marketing and promotion in both the USA plus internationally that large acts expect.”

 

MARSHALL SIGNS GLOBAL PUBLISHING DEAL WITH PEERMUSIC U.K.: Marshall (the U.K. founded music equipment brand) has inked a worldwide publishing agreement with Peermusic U.K., in which both companies will sign and developing artist with the Marshall Records label through a creative joint venture. Furthermore, Marshall Records Publishing has signed an exclusive music publishing deal with Peermusic. Nigel Elderton, European President, Peermusic, tells A&R Worldwide, “The Marshall brand is synonymous with ground-breaking music. For over sixty years, Marshall has amplified the sound of the world’s most talented artists and for nearly 100 years, Peermusic has championed songwriters and music creators. The opportunity to align with Steve Tannett, and the Marshall team is a perfect fit for our creative culture at Peermusic. We look forward to working on some exciting projects together.” Mike Sault, Head of A&R at Peermusic U.K., added, “We’re delighted to be working with Steve and the incredible team at Marshall and look forward to aligning and amplifying our core businesses together.”

 

LIL DURK PARTNERS WITH AWAL TO RELAUNCH LABEL VENTURE OTF: Lil Durk has announced that he will be collaborating with AWAL to relaunch his Chicago-based label, OTF (Only The Family). The label was created in 2012 by its founders Durk Banks, Dontay ‘Dthang’ Banks, Cedrick ‘SB’ Earsery, and Uchenna ‘Chino’ Agina. The affiliation will allow OTF to make use of AWAL’s worldwide infrastructure, and artist development practices to hone in on new talent. With Durk as the CEO, the team is rounded out by COO Earsery, who will work alongside AWAL CEO Lonny Olinick, President Pete Giberga, Sr. VP/Head of Urban Music Norva Denton, and the rest of the AWAL A&R and marketing teams to structure the label’s expanding roster. OTF’s first release as part of the new unification is the track titled, “GTA” by DJ Bandz featuring Rob49, Skilla Baby, and Fivio Foreign, which was released last Friday.

 

CINQ MUSIC BUYS CATALOG OF PRODUCER FLOW LA MOVIE: Cinq Music has bought the music catalog of the late producer and songwriter José Ángel Hernández, aka Flow La Movie. The deal happened after Cinq Music raised $250 million (USD) from GoDigital Media Group, for acquisitions specifically in the reggaeton, Música Mexicana, Afrobeats, and country genres. Flow La Movie’s catalog is of the reggaeton genre, with songs such as “La Jeepeta,” recorded by Nio Garcia, Brray, and Juanka – “Travesuras,” by Nicky Jam, and “Te Boté,” by Nio García, Darell and Casper Mágico. Also, a remix of “Te Boté,” featuring Bad Bunny, Ozuna, and Nicky Jam, is the highest Latin RIAA-certified hit ever, having spent fourteen non-continuous weeks at No.1 and amassed over four billion streams. Barry Daffurn, President & Co-Founder, Cinq Music, said “We all mourned the loss of José, and we are honored to continue his legacy with the addition of his catalog to our storied portfolio. Cinq is committed to honoring his life’s work and to preserving his remarkable legacy. We have tremendous respect and admiration for him and his family, and we are looking forward to continuing to build upon the special place that he occupies in the hearts of music fans everywhere.”

 

BMG NAMES SARAH MITCHELL TO HEAD U.K. & EUROPEAN RIGHTS & ROYALTIES: BMG has announced that Sarah Mitchell will lead its Rights and Royalties operations across both music publishing and recordings in the U.K. and Europe. She will report to Sebastian Hentzschel, COO, BMG, and will further form part of the company’s senior leadership team in the U.K., having a seat on the BMG U.K. board. Mitchell joined BMG in 2022 as Sr. Vice President Neighboring Rights where she aided in the signing of Coldplay, Christine & The Queens, and Pete Townsend, improving a roster that already included the Rolling Stones, Jonas Blue, Roger Daltrey, Simple Minds, and Chris Rea. Prior to her tenure at BMG, she was the Director of Membership & Communications for PPL, and before that, she held positions in senior client service roles at Eurostar and Carphone Warehouse. As Sr. Vice President Rights and Royalties U.K. and Europe, Mitchell will oversee rights and royalty management for much of the world outside the U.S., including the U.K., Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Among her duties will be client onboarding and service, royalty accounting, copyright administration, and analytics across both publishing and recordings. Also, she will maintain control of neighboring rights.

 

STEVE OBERMAN NAMED VICE PRESIDENT OF PARTNERSHIPS AT TIXR: Tixr has named industry executive Steve Oberman as Vice President of Partnerships. In his new position, Oberman will lead strategic global expansion in music and accelerate growth across the variety of industries that the Tixr platform services. Oberman joins Tixr after a long stint at See Tickets as Executive VP and Head of Music following See Tickets’ acquisition of Flavorus in 2016. Since 2011, Oberman has acted as Flavorus’ Head of Business Development across festivals, concerts, nightlife, and food and beverage sectors. Before working in ticketing, Oberman managed musicians such as Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver at Frontline and Azoff Music Management. Oberman will be based in the company’s Santa Monica, CA headquarters.

 

KRISTAL MCKANDERS DUBE NAMED GLOBAL CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AT BMG: BMG has announced Kristal McKanders Dube is to be the head of its Global Corporate Communications. McKanders Dube joins BMG after almost six years at Warner Music Group (WMG) where she spearheaded the global communications function at Warner Chappell Music, which included overseeing executive and songwriter communications, corporate events, and philanthropic initiatives at WMG’s offices in Los Angeles. As Senior VP of Communications and Marketing at WMG, McKanders Dube was vital in forming Warner Chappell’s communications strategy in which she was instrumental during a CEO transition and in announcing its milestone of excelling past $1 billion in revenue. In 2023, she was honored as a leading music industry PR executive on Billboard‘s Power of Publicity list. McKanders Dube will report directly to Thomas Coesfeld, CEO, BMG, and will also handle the company’s corporate communications worldwide, leading internal and external communications efforts, and cooperating with Bertelsmann. McKanders Dube replaces the longstanding BMG EVP Corporate Communications executive Steve Redmond who announced he was stepping down from his position after 12 years at the company.

 

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