Monday, March 8, 2021

Musical Chairs -- Week 10 - 2021

USA

US President Joe Biden has named Tim Wu, a Columbia University law professor, to the National Economic Council as a special assistant to the president for technology and competition policy. Wu is the author of the 2018 book 'The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age', which takes a strong stance against the massive concentration in the tech sector.The New York Times said Wu's appointment "suggests that the administration plans to take on the size and influence of companies like AmazonAppleFacebook and Google, including working with Congress on legislation to strengthen antitrust laws." Biden has yet to appoint nominees for the Justice Department’s antitrust division and the Federal Trade Commission

Bryan Walley (pictured, below) has been promoted to COO and President of Exactuals, the Los Angeles-based company specialised in complex payments, royalties, and metadata in the entertainment and insurance industries. Walley, who joined the company seven years ago as COO, is based in Los Angeles and will continue to report to Exactuals CEO Mike Hurst. As President, Walley will lead functions such as operations, audit and compliance, customer success, banking relationships, business management relations, and more. "Bryan’s responsibilities have expanded over the years, and we would not be where we are today without his leadership and vision," said Hurst.


Former Soundcloud executive Joe Amenia has joined streaming platform Stationhead as Director of Creator Partnerships. Based in New York, he reports to Stationhead's COO Murray Levison. He was Director, Artist, and Creator Relations at Soundcloud. Amenia will be responsible for recruiting creators and influencers to develop shows for the platform, adding to the more than 6,000 Stationhead hosts already streaming. Stationhead is a platform founded by recording artist Ryan Star which allows people around the world to connect and create with voice and music and provides the ability for anyone to become a host of their own audio show.  "We are reinventing the future of live radio, and a critical part of our strategy is to bring the best creators to the platform to do what they do best, create engaging experiences. Stationhead makes it possible for anyone to host their own show with no institutionalised barriers to entry," said Star, who serves as CEO of Stationhead. "Joe has a proven track record of building these types of programs for some of the biggest influencers in the audio industry and we look forward to him bringing his experience to Stationhead."

Music licensing marketplace Songtradr has named Lindsay Nahmiache Chief Marketing Officer. Based in Los Angeles, she is tasked with growing the presence of the platform in new and existing markets and expand its global reach in the technology/music arena. She is the co-founder and CEO of Jive PR + Digital, and has worked in the past for Virgin RadioGranville Island BrewingJuan Valdez CoffeeeOne Films and MeowWolf.

Jesus Gonzalez (pictured, below) has joined US rights society BMI as Vice President, Creative, Latin. He will oversee BMI’s Latin Creative team helping to sign and develop new talent, assist BMI’s songwriters and publishers and serve as a liaison between the Latin music community and the industry at large. Based out of BMI’s Los Angeles office, Gonzalez reports to BMI Senior Vice President, Creative, Alex Flores.


Cat Kreidich (pictured, below) has been appointed Executive Vice President of the Warner Music Group's distribution and service company for the independent sector ADA Worldwide. Based in New York, she reports to WMG's President of Independent Music & Creator Services Eliah Seton. In her role, Kreidich will "spearhead ADA’s widening global footprint and partnerships across international commerce and marketing, in addition to label/product management and operations." Kreidich joins from The Orchard, where she was SVP of Account Management, Advertising, and Data Analysis.


Rosie Hill has been appointed Global Director of Sync at Atlantic Screen Music (ASM). She joins from Sentric Music Group, where she was Global Head of Sync.

Bhaskar Menon, who was Chairman & CEO of EMI Music Worldwide from 1978 to 1990, died at his home in Beverly Hills aged 86. He spent 34 years with EMI, starting in 1956. He also served as Chairman of the IFPI for many years.  

Mark Josephson, who co-founded the New Music Seminar in New York with Tom Silvermanand Joel Webber, and ran independent promotion outlet RockpooldiedMarch 2 of a heart attack aged 68. The annual New Music Seminar, which ran from 1980 to 1995, became the largest music conference/showcase in the US.

UK

Music publishing veteran Richard Rowe has joined Hipgnosis Songs Fund as Executive Vice President, reporting to Merck Mercuriadis, the Founder and CEO of the Guernsey-incorporated music assets' management company. Rowe left a few weeks ago Round Hill Music, which he co-founded in 2010. Rowe worked for Sony Music Publishing from 1991 to 2005, during which he orchestrated the joint venture deal with Michael Jackson that led to the creation of Sony/ATV. “Richard is one of the most important and successful executives in the music industry. He helped build Sony/ATV into the company it is today and played an important role in bringing Round Hill Music Royalty Fund successfully to the market in the wake of Hipgnosis," said Mercuriadis. "I look forward to having him work closely with me as we grow and manage our portfolio of proven hit songs." Rowe commented: “I am proud of the work that I did at Round Hill Music over the last ten years and to have been part of its growth. Music publishing is evolving at a fast pace and Hipgnosis is leading that charge. I am delighted that Merck has invited me to join his company and bring my experience to Hipgnosis, and work with the great team he has already put together. Merck has built an incredible company, that is the envy of the music industry, and I am excited to have this opportunity to be part of the next stage of its growth."

Digital distributor FUGA, part of the Downtown Music Holdings group of companies, has strengthened its marketing and promotion team in London with the appointment of Alison Lamb as Digital Accounts/Marketing Strategy Manager and Liz Northeast to the newly created position of Client Relations Director EMEA. Northeast was VP International at The Orchard and more recently leading the UK Artist and Label Development team at AWAL. She is charged with client engagement, development and market intelligence. Lamb (pictured, below) was previously General Manager at Prolifica Management. She will be working with FUGA’s UK clients and DSP partners on creative, dynamic marketing campaigns. Lamb reports to Amsterdam-based Jacky van den Munckhof, FUGA's Head of Digital Accounts, with a regional reporting line to Dorothée Imhoff, Managing Director FUGA UK/SVP EMEA. Northeast reports to Imhoff.


Nicola Spokes has been appointed managing director of Universal Music Group's label Island UK. She joins from UMG's distribution unit Caroline International, where she was UK label head. Caroline International was recently rebranded as Virgin Music Label & Artist Services. She reports to Island President Louis Bloom.

FRANCE

Jean-Yves Mirski, Managing Director of FICAM (the Federation of Cinema, Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries), has been reappointed as President of the Federation of Performing Arts, Music, Audiovisual and Cinéma, which regroups the main organisations from the creative sector. Mirski succeeded Jack Aubert in 2018 and will serve for another two-year term. Vincent Moisselin, director of Syndeac, has also been re-elected as Vice President.

GERMANY

German film distributor Leonine has appointed Heather Moosnick to its advisory board. She was Senior Vice President of Content Partnerships at Hulu, and worked previously at Google as head of global business development, strategy and content partner management for YouTube TV and Google Fiber. She has also held senior executive roles at Warner Music GroupCBS and Viacom. Leonine is backed by Private Equity KKR and Atwater Capital. The advisory board includes Vania Schlogel (Founder and Managing Partner Atwater Capital), Bettina Reitz (President University of Television and Film Munich), Philipp Freise (Partner and Co-Head of European Private Equity KKR), Philipp Schälli (Principal, Private Equity KKR) and Andreas Wiele (Senior Advisory Board KKR).

JAPAN

Japanese composer Tokura Shunichi (pictured, below), who is a member and former Chair of Japanese music rights society JASRAC, and currently serves as Executive Adviser to the society, has been appointedthe 23rd Commissioner for Cultural Affairs of Japan, taking office from April 2021. He will take over from , following the current commissioner and metalworks artist Miyata Ryohei. He will be the first composer to be appointed commissioner. He also served as chairman of the Asia-Pacific Music Creators Alliance. Daily newspaper The Asahi Shimbun wrote that Tokura's closeness with JASRAC could create a situation of conflict of interest since "the Agency for Cultural Affairs oversees Copyright Law and as such is in a supervisory position in relation to JASRAC." Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda he did not think it would be the case. He said, “I believe he will be a commissioner who can look out for the interests of users, copyright holders and everyone else."


INDONESIA

Sony Music Publishing has opened an office in Indonesia dedicated to "the development and promotion of Indonesian songwriters both locally and around the world." Sony Music Publishing Indonesia (SMPI) will be led by Anti Ariandini (pictured, below), who has been appointed as General Manager. She will focus on expanding the new company’s creative and commercial opportunities in the Indonesia market. Ariandini worked previously at Universal MusicEMI Music IndonesiaHuawei Indonesia and BaiduTechnology. In 2015, she founded Indonesia e-commerce association, idEA, after which she joined the Indonesia Fintech Association as General Secretary in 2019. SMPI will work closely with Sony Music Entertainment Indonesia (SMEI) and other music publishers and associations "to foster international networks and partnerships for Indonesian composers and songwriters, as well as develop new, creative projects that bring together international and Indonesian repertoire for both local and global appeal."

  

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