Ari Gelaw, Sony Music Publishing’s SVP of inventive A&R. Photograph Credit score: Presley Ann
Right here’s a recap of current music trade hires and in-house promotions as of July thirty first, 2026.
If in case you have a job shuffle to share, we’re all ears. Ship us a notice to information@digitalmusicnews.com. When you’d prefer to submit a job on our Job Board, simply ship us a request to noah@digitalmusicnews.com. And, maintain monitor of all the newest music trade hires right here.
Warner Music Group
One other shakeup at WMG?
After a bit of multiple yr with Warner Music, CFO and COO Armin Zerza has all of a sudden exited the corporate “for private causes,” with DMN getting the low-key e mail alert late on Friday. Following the abrupt goodbye, Chief Accounting Officer Louis Dickler has as soon as once more been tapped to function interim CFO, having quickly assumed the title in 2021.
And on the COO aspect, Tom Corson will stay Warner Information’ COO “for a transitional interval” along with moving into the identical function on a company-wide foundation — per the aforementioned late-Friday replace.
SiriusXM
And for people who need even extra govt drama: SiriusXM EVP and COO Wayne Thorsen can be all of a sudden departing after lower than two years with the corporate. The information was slipped into Sirius’ current monetary replace; no phrase on why Thorsen is jetting precisely.
Symphonic
In calmer appointment information, Symphonic Distribution has introduced 4 A&R hires, welcoming Spotify vet JD Father or mother (supervisor of A&R and shopper growth) in Canada and longtime Kobalt higher-up Nick Robinson (A&R and enterprise growth marketing consultant) within the UK.
Moreover, former Tigerspring senior A&R supervisor Pia Eiser (senior A&R supervisor for Germany, Switzerland, and Austria) has come aboard in Germany, and Nigeria-based Rhythm Managements founder David Niran is now A&R and shopper growth supervisor for Africa.
Lastly, within the Netherlands, Symphonic has elevated Sander Stijnen to senior director of A&R and shopper growth.
Sony Music Publishing
Elsewhere, SMP has bumped Ari Gelaw, who’s been with the writer for the higher a part of 5 years, to SVP of inventive A&R; the exec “will probably be accountable for main the corporate’s US R&B/Hip-Hop workforce.”
Secretly Distribution
Having began with Secretly Distribution in 2020, Kristian Downs has been upped to govt director of platform operations.
Pipeline
Spencer LeBoff, most not too long ago Avex’s head of publishing and acquisitions, has signed on as Pipeline’s head of income.
Borchetta Leisure Group
Borchetta Leisure Group has added longtime Vector Administration exec Kevin Spellman and Henley Halem (who likewise joins from Vector) as co-VPs.
Emirates Arts & Music Rights Affiliation (EMRA)
The EMRA has introduced on Hani Masgidi as affiliation director. Within the submit, the Qanawat enterprise growth VP will “lead the event of EMRA’s framework.”
Sphere Leisure
Multi-decade comms and advertising and marketing specialist Karen Laureano-Rikardsen is now Sphere Leisure’s world head of company advertising and marketing and communications.
GLP
Austria’s Georg Leitner Productions has expanded within the UK by hiring Arts & Leisure Productions MD Manfred Seipt, who resides in London, in a senior place.
Music Venue Belief (MVT)
Longtime UK authorities official Chris Hurne is formally the MVT’s head of exterior affairs.
Patreon
To not finish on a dour notice, however Patreon has now laid off 93 staff, a few of whom joined the corporate earlier in 2026. Impacted roles embody a workers engineer, the top of high creator partnerships, plus a senior fraud prevention specialist, affiliate supervisor, content material moderation specialist, social media supervisor, and recruiter.
