Music Industry Moves: Tomás Talarico to Lead Warner Music in Argentina and Chile, Guillermo Castellani Exits
Tomás Talarico has been named managing director of Warner Music Southern Cone, overseeing the record company’s business in Argentina and Chile.
Talarico has taken up the role this week as Guillermo Castellani has stepped down from the position.
Talarico is based in Buenos Aires and reports to Alejandro Duque, president, Warner Music Latin America. Castellani will remain with the company as a consultant, working through a leadership transition with Talarico.
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Talarico joins the company from MOJO, an independent record label and digital distributor that he founded in 2014 and has run as managing director over the last decade. He built a team of more than 30 employees across Argentina, Chile and Peru. Throughout his career, Talarico has played a crucial role in the careers of emerging artists such as Ecko, Grupo Zumbale Primo, Kaleb Di Masi, Mario Luis, Papichamp, Rodrigo Tapari, and Uriel Lozano.
Duque said, “Tomás has an entrepreneurial spirit and sense of cultural curiosity that make him an incredible fit to Warner Music. He has long worked at the intersection of music and tech, harnessing innovation to the service of artists and I look forward to collaborating with him on some hugely exciting projects and continuing Guillermo’s legacy.”
+ 9th St. Records has inked a joint venture with Hallwood, who has arms in management, recordings, distribution, publishing, merchandise and ventures.
Founded in 2020 by Nissim Hershkovits and Harry Jenko in their college dorm room, 9th St. Records’ management roster features Rich Amiri, OsamaSon, Lil Shine, and others. Paired with Hallwood’s infrastructure and resources, the venture offers a full suite of services that cover all aspects of an artist’s career.
+ MLennial, a management company with an EDM roster, has signed Seven Lions. The American producer will now work with MLennial across all upcoming endeavors, including global touring among other opportunities.
Artist manager and show director, Paulette Varelas, joins Lisanti to manage Seven Lions. As a manager, Verelas has worked on a diverse roster of talent, from emerging acts to established names such as Seven Lions, Jason Ross, Andrew Bayer and Gem and Tauri.
Seven Lions (real name Jeff Montalvo) has released music on labels including Anjunabeats, OWSLA, Casablanca, and his own Ophelia Records. He is credited for work on “Strangers” (with Tove Lo), “Rush Over Me” (with Illenium, Said the Sky, Haliene), and “Need Your Love” (with Gryffin, Noah Kahan) followed.
+ Sony Music Publishing today announced the promotion of Henry Naldjian to chief technology officer, effective immediately. Naldjian will continue to be based out the company’s Nashville office, reporting to Bill Starke, SMP’s chief information officer.
In his elevated role as CTO, Naldjian will be responsible for overseeing the company’s ongoing technological transformation efforts and driving innovation to advance SMP’s business strategy. He will also be responsible for leading collaboration efforts across teams to ensure alignment across the company globally.
Naldjian said, “I am truly honored to work for a company that has done so much for advancing music and technology, and I’m grateful to be a part of such an impactful team. I can honestly say that this has never felt like a job but rather a labor of love. In a world where technology evolves at the speed of thought, our greatest asset is not the code we write, but the empowerment we provide to our songwriters and clients.”
With a career spanning over thirty-four years, Naldjian has served in multiple roles throughout his time at SMP, he has been integral in the development, implementation, and management of the company’s copyright and royalty system Tempo. His career began at CBS Records International as a programmer, and he later moved to Sony Music Entertainment.
+ The Hello Group Publishing and Sony Music Publishing Benelux today announced the renewal of their multi-year creative partnership. The deal will see SMP elevating global support to THG Publishing – the music publishing division of The Hello Group – across A&R, sync, licensing, and administration and will advance collaboration across Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific markets.
Launched in 2021, THG Publishing has placed numerous hits in the K-Pop and J-Pop markets: “Smoothie” by NCT Dream; “More,” “Drop” and “Tag” from INI’s “Match Up” EP; “Shout Out” by ENHYPEN; “Lemonade,” “Black Clouds” and “Ay-Yo” by NCT 127 and TWICE Japan’s lead single “Dive.”
Taylor Jones, CEO and Global Head of Creative at THG said, “Sony Music Publishing, with whom we have enjoyed a multi-year partnership, have been along with us for the ride as we’ve grown into a major force in SE Asia. Michèle and her team provide us world-class support on an international level, have allowed our flexible operating ideas to flourish, and supported our trajectory in fast-growing international markets such as India, Middle East and of course, our continued traction in South Korea and Japan. We are excited to renew our deal with SMP, cementing our commitment to a long-term partnership.”
Michèle Hamelink, Managing Director, Sony Music Publishing Benelux, said, “We are incredibly proud to continue our partnership with The Hello Group’s amazing team and their impressive roster of songwriters. It has been a privilege to harness the power of SMP’s global infrastructure to support Taylor and his team in their amazing journey. Their success is a testament to their forward-thinking vision, and we’re excited to build upon the momentum we’ve created together.”
+ Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, has appointed Sarah McNabb as director, content integrity.
McNabb joins Merlin from Audoo, where she served as head of partnerships, leading global initiatives to enhance music royalties with recognition technology. Her extensive experience includes working with PROs and CMOs worldwide to ensure accuracy and transparency in royalty reporting. In her new role, she will collaborate with members and digital platforms.
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