Following the example of its busy Nashville division, BMG is focusing on its focus as a front-line label and is investing heavily in developing US acts.
Less than six months later John Loba promoted from president of BMG Nashville to president of frontline recordings at BMG North America, he is now expanding his reach to president of frontline recordings, The Americas, to include Brazil under his watch. He will oversee new releases across genres including pop, rock, R&B/Hip-Hop, country and Latin.
“We're going to become much more focused on the front line,” says Loba Advertising sign. “There is a redistribution of resources in the US. We will be much more competitive on the front line, including the creation of our LATAM segment.”
The move comes with a major investment in A&R, A&R research and digital resources, with BMG doubling the dollars it was spending on US signings and acquisitions. “The whole idea of putting me in this position was [BMG] I really wanted the rest of the US to match the culture of Nashville and the way we destroyed acts,” Loba says.
BMG's country division pioneered platinum-selling artists such as Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Parmalee, Dustin Lynch and Blanco Brown, while non-country genres “focused on acquisition and established artists,” says Loba. “We want to be intentional about organic growth as well as being a home for new viral acts.”
BMG Nashville's run has taught Loba that “icons come from margins” and that copycats don't have to be valid. “We want to be a home for artists who maybe don't easily find a home elsewhere, or who others don't immediately see the value in,” he says. “We want to be a home for a different perspective, a different voice.”
Part of BMG Nashville's success has come from the strength of its radio promotion team, and Loba expects that team to work to pick up records out of the country in the future. “Radio also tends to be the rocket fuel of streams,” he says. “You might have streaming airplay for a certain amount of time without radio being involved, but I still don't know an artist who doesn't care about radio airplay, so to be attractive to our current and potential artists, you can't afford not to have a radio presence”.
BMG expects to continue to be actively involved in the acquisition space, with a focus on signing new deals as an add-on to the existing business. According to its report at the end of 2023, Berlin-based BMG made 30 acquisitions last year as revenue rose to 905 million euros (equivalent to $986 million), up 4.6 percent from 2022. Among of its major acquisitions were the purchase of Paul Simon's recording rights income from Simon & Garfunkel as well as the acquisition of the catalog of British rock band The Hollies.
Unlike some labels that combine frontline and catalog operations, BMG will remain separate (albeit before BMG's new CEO Thomas Cosfeld took over last July, the plan was to merge the two). Thomas Scherer, who previously ran the publishing division, now heads the global recording catalog. According to the 2023 report, recordings account for 34% of BMG's revenue, with 61% coming from publishing and the remaining 5% from broader rights.
Loba has also built his executive team, many of whom are improving their duties. Below are the key members of his team and their assigned roles.
*JoJamie Hahr, executive vice president of recorded music, BMG Nashville, will oversee the day-to-day management of BBR Music Group and its three imprints, home to the likes of Jelly Roll, Aldean and Wilson. Hahr, who joined the company in 2017, reports to Loba.
*Zarah Ortiz, vice president of repertoire and campaign management, will oversee BMG's building presence in Latin American markets, including Mexico and Brazil, and genres such as Afro-pop. Based in Miami, Ortiz, who oversees a team in Mexico, reports to Loba, as does GM Daniel Fernandez in Brazil.
*Dan Gill, executive vice president of recorded music, West Coast, will oversee pop, rock, R&B/Hip-Hop and international outbound repertoire. Gill, who joined BMG following the acquisition of Vagrant Records in 2014, led the success of such acts as blink-182 and LP at BMG and will lead the campaign on upcoming releases from YG, Chief Keef, Wiz Khalifa and others. It refers to Loba.
*Gill's direct references include; Cyndi Lynottsenior vice president of marketing, who will lead BMG's front-line recorded strategy for pop artists including New Kids on the Block and The Script. Sean Heydornsenior vice president of Rise Records, who will now lead all frontline rock efforts, including Rise's roster and BMG rock acts Godsmack, Lenny Kravitz and Sum41. Shane Cosme, senior vice president of international marketing for BMG US, who will be responsible for handling US repertoire outside the United States. and Tim Reed, senior vice president of repertoire and marketing, who will oversee R&B/Hip-Hop in the United States as well as manage RBC Records, home to Chief Keef and Run the Jewels. The reference to Reid is Jecoure Lemothe, vice president of A&R and marketing, who will also handle the day-to-day operations of RBC Records. Lynott, Heydorn, Cosme and Lemothe are based in Los Angeles, while Reid has moved from Los Angeles to Nashville.
*Brian Columbus, vp of recorded music, Canada, reports directly to Loba. returns to BMG after a stint at Concord Label Group. Prior to Concord, Columbus led Canadian marketing campaigns for Nashville's Broken Bow Records Music Group through BMG's partnership with Black Box Music.
Loba hints that there will be more changes as well, including additions to front-line teams, globally and in the US.
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