Napster Group appointed Emmy Lovell to the newly created role of chief strategy officer. She will report to CEO and founder Anthony Matchett, driving the strategic direction and growth of the company.
“Emmy’s wealth of industry experience is going to be a real asset to Napster,” said Matchett. “She truly values the importance of musicians and their craft and is a champion for artist rights and compensation. We’re thrilled to welcome Emmy to the team and I look forward to us working closely together as we relaunch the Napster brand.”
Lovell joins Napster from WEA Europe — Warner Music Group’s global artist and label services arm — where she served as evp. A seasoned music industry executive and leader, Lovell has developed digital promotions and led campaigns for major artists like Gorillaz and deadmau5.
Republic Records promoted Brett Alperowitz to evp of A&R. He will simultaneously sign, develop and cultivate talent for Republic while maintaining his role as general manager for imprint Casablanca Records.
“Brett has been integral to the success of both Republic and Casablanca,” said Wendy Goldstein, president, West Coast creative. “He’s consistently identified, signed, and developed career artists who have left an indelible impact on music. This keen instinct and his diehard work ethic are traits that galvanize the entire A&R department. I’m honored to announce his much-deserved promotion.”
Alperowitz joined Republic in 1995 as their third employee. Since then, he has been integral in signing numerous talent. He most recently served as svp of A&R.
LiveXLive announced the hiring of Nikki Hart Caldeira as svp of strategic development, Ari Molovinsky as svp of corporate development and strategy and Jonathan Flax as vp of social media and marketing.
Each will focus on expanding the company’s industry leadership through the expansion of relationships with global consumer brands, monetization of programming and content, business development and unification of new and existing assets.
“The hiring of Nikki, Ari and Jonathan comes at a time of significant growth in our flywheel of businesses and divisions,” said Robert Ellin, CEO and Chairman of LiveXLive. “LiveXLive’s expansion has come from offering exceptional content, providing a talent platform that allows us to maximize social visibility, sponsorship opportunities and new business development while growing our employees by over 220% in less than 3 years and expanding audiences across our platforms organically and globally.
Caldeira most recently worked at AXS Group where she held various senior positions. In her new role, she will focus on strategic business development and operational processes.
Molovinsky joined LiveXLive from SiriusXM Radio where he held leadership roles and aided in launching their streaming service.
Flax will oversee and drive the brand’s continued growth across social channels. He previously worked as vp of Howard Stern Video.
Music Publishers Canada (MPC) promoted Margaret McGuffin to CEO.
“The Board of MPC would like to acknowledge the important work Margaret is doing on behalf of our music publisher members and the music publishing community as a whole, especially in the area of advocacy,” said board chairperson Vincent Degiorgio.
During her time at MPC, McGuffin has built a team that has launched new programs such as Women in the Studio National Accelerator, music publishing 101 training, and the Meet the Music Supervisors series amongst others.
Anthem Entertainment promoted Lindsay Hyslop to director of marketing for Anthem Records. She will report to general manager, West Coast and head of Anthem Records Allison Hamamura.
In her new role, Hyslop will continue to oversee all label marketing as well as work closely with Anthem’s artists and songwriters to build and design opportunities, showcasing their work worldwide. During her time at Anthem, she has expanded marketing outreach and efficiency, playing an integral part in creating and building value for the label’s artists and music partners.
“Lindsay has proven herself to be a determined, persuasive executive with an abundance of creativity,” said Hamamura. “She oversees the strategic marketing of Anthem Records’ artists with exceptional aplomb. Her international experience with brand partnerships, digital marketing and ability to pivot has served our roster well to date and will continue to do so as we move forward.”
Warner Music UK appointed Brooke Salisbury to general manager of WMG’s independent distribution division ADA UK. She will continue to report to Howard Corner, managing director of ADA UK.
Salisbury will work closely with Corner to oversee the company’s strategic direction. She will also lead the marketing and digital teams in delivering creative strategies for Abra Cadabra, Central Cee, KSI and OFB as well as ADA distributed label partners.
“When Brooke joined ADA at the start of last year, she quickly established herself as a vital member of the team,” said Corner. “She understands the needs and requirements of independent artists and labels and is able to combine that with a dynamic commercial marketing approach. I’m delighted to see her stepping into this key role and look forward to continued future successes together at ADA.”
YM&U hired Ian Chambers as their new senior marketing manager.
Hailing from Santa Monica, CA, Chambers began learning the ropes of artist management in the early 2010s and discovered his passion for marketing, advertising and social media. Throughout his career, Chambers has helped countless artists and brands elevate their digital presence, coaching a handful of them to success.
In his new role, he will oversee Rancid, Blink-182, Travis Barker and The Interrupters.
International artist management company 5B Artists + Media welcomed James Vitalo as he takes on an artist manager role.
He joins 5B from Good Fight Entertainment where he built a roster of groundbreaking artists. Prior to management, he worked as a booking agent.
“I’m incredibly excited to begin working with James and the amazing artists he represents,” said 5B founder and president Cory Brennan. “His energy, positivity and sheer determination is second to none and aligns perfectly with that of 5B. We welcome his invaluable perspective and look forward to developing and uncovering the next generation of important artists alongside him.”
5B has also promoted Brad Fuhrman to vp and Stephen Reeder to senior director of digital.
Indie powerhouse Cooking Vinyl announced the formation of a new department to optimize and grow its catalog offering to artists and labels. The new department will be led by catalog industry stalwart Steve Bunyan and will see an increased focus on long-term sales of artists currently signed to the label and an acquisition policy to bolster the roster.
“Working for the artists and music we love and advancing their careers is what gets us out of bed in the morning,” said chairman Martin Goldschmidt. “The appointment of someone of the calibre and standing of Steve Bunyan allows us to enhance our service to artists and to look to acquire new catalogues of recordings. Our track record, size, flexibility and financial backing means that we offer an attractive bespoke alternative to the larger companies currently hoovering up rights.”
