Alternative Airplay<\/a> chart. \u201cBeyond chart success,\u201d Iley says, \u201cI\u2019m really pleased to see results from the holistic work we\u2019ve put into strengthening our business,\u201d with a focus on employee wellness and an award-\u00adwinning childcare policy. Such initiatives, he adds, \u201cdemonstrate the importance of listening \u2014 listening to what our artists and people need from us in order to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tBiggest issue now:<\/strong> \u201cAI is a global issue and one that we are at the forefront of in the U.K. We have been working to help the government understand the implications of their proposed copyright reforms [that would] present a serious threat to our artists and their work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tDaniel Lieberberg
<\/strong>President of continental Europe and Africa, Sony Music Entertainment
<\/em>Christoph Behm
<\/strong>CEO, Sony Music Entertainment Germany, Switzerland and Austria
<\/em>Marie-Anne Robert
<\/strong>Managing director, Sony Music Entertainment France
<\/em>Sean Watson
<\/strong>Managing director, Sony Music Entertainment Africa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s been a great year, with a series of successes for our local and international artists thanks to the incredibly hardworking teams across Europe and Africa,\u201d says Lieberberg, who oversaw Sony\u2019s growth in Greece and the Czech Republic through acquisitions, including Supraphron, the latter country\u2019s longest-established record label. In Germany, Sony \u201cdelivered a global viral feat\u201d thanks to Raffaella Carr\u00e0, Jaxomy and Agatino Romero\u2019s collaboration, \u201cPedro.\u201d Sony also opened the recording complex ONE Studios in Amsterdam. Artist Shiva set records in Italy by earning 100\u00a0million streams in a week, and Sony established a presence in Accra, Ghana, thanks to a partnership with Crux Global.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe music industry today in a word:<\/strong> \u201cCulture-driven,\u201d Lieberberg says.<\/p>\n\n\tAlistair Norbury
<\/strong>President of U.K., Europe and Asia-Pacific
<\/em>Levy Isabella
<\/strong>Managing director of Benelux and Scandinavia, BMG<\/em><\/p>\n\n\tBMG enjoyed a variety of European wins in 2024, with top five debuts on the United Kingdom\u2019s Official Albums Chart for bands Soft Play, Travis and The Script, as well as No.\u00a01 bows for British indie-pop band Blossoms and global pop legend Kylie Minogue, whose Tension<\/em> also topped charts in Scotland and Belgium. Norbury cites the most significant recent developments of BMG delivering its repertoire directly to digital platforms (while moving physical distribution to Universal) and dabbling in related fields like film and literature. \u201cWe are fully focused on being a global music publisher and recordings business,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\tBiggest issue now:<\/strong> \u201cFair compensation for artists and songwriters in relation to streaming platforms,\u201d Norbury says.<\/p>\n\n\tSimon Robson
<\/strong>President, Europe, the Middle East and Africa recorded music, Warner Music Group
<\/em>Pico Cibelli
<\/strong>President, Warner Music Italy
<\/em>Fabian Drebes
Doreen Schimk<\/strong>
Co-presidents, Warner Music Central Europe
<\/em>Mark Fry
<\/strong>President, Warner Music Nordics
<\/em>Alain Veille
<\/strong>President, Warner Music France
<\/em>Niels Walboomers
<\/strong>President of records and publishing, Benelux, Warner Music Group
<\/em>Temi Adeniji
<\/strong>Managing director, Warner Music Africa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\tWarner Music\u2019s teams in Europe, Africa, Asia and beyond emphasize \u201ccross-cultural collaborations,\u201d Robson says. These include 91\u00a0North Records, a joint venture between the label\u2019s India and Canada outposts, which Robson says had \u201cstrong success\u201d in breaking rapper AR\u00a0Paisley, Punjabi hip-hop lyricist Chani Nattan and Punjabi-focused producer Gminxer, all of whom are Canadian. Warner Music India and Warner Music Canada have also been working together with Karan Aujla and recently released \u201cTell Me\u201d with OneRepublic. WMG also launched an Africa Francophone brand emphasizing French-speaking sub-Saharan African artists. \u201cWe also recently incorporated Warner Music U.K. into our EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa] structure to help further boost creative collaborations and align our artist campaigns,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\n\tBiggest issue now:<\/strong> \u201cRecent IFPI figures showed that global industry growth [in key markets] slowed last year,\u201d Robson says. \u201cThat means we must be even more focused on innovation, creativity and strategic deal-\u00admaking to ensure sustainable growth for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tDickon Stainer
<\/strong>Chairman\/CEO, Universal Music U.K.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\t\u201cI would like to highlight the incredible work of our U.K. teams, working with our global partners to put great British artistry back at the heart of international culture \u2014 in the shape of Lola Young, Sam Fender, The Last Dinner Party and Olivia Dean,\u201d Stainer says, \u201cand to prove the lasting value of our labels to long-term artist career-building and storytelling on a global scale.\u201d Stainer was named to lead Universal Music U.K. in September 2024, following a long career at UMG, most recently as president\/CEO of UMG\u2019s global classics and jazz division. He oversees divisions including Island EMI Label Group, Polydor Label Group, Decca Records and the recently formed Audience and Media Division, as well as Abbey Road Studios.<\/p>\n
\n\tBiggest issue now:<\/strong> \u201cTo be compelling and relevant to audiences who are bombarded with noise and distraction.\u201d<\/p>\n
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