Republic Records has appointed Eddie Sears its new executive vice president of creative, as announced by Republic President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Roppo.

Sears will lead the creative team, working closely with the entire label roster with a focus on visual presentations, brand storytelling and artist development.

For nearly a decade, Sears was the creative director at Ultra Records, where he worked on projects for Benny Benassi and Steve Aoki, to name a few. Prior, he owned and operated his own creative agency based in Milan, Italy.

Roppo said, “Eddie doesn’t just appreciate the music; he fully immerses himself in each artist’s vision. He meticulously examines every detail and proactively creates a creative strategy that aligns perfectly with that vision. His enthusiasm, energy and creative expertise are unrivaled, and I’m delighted to welcome him to the Republic Records family.”

Sears added, “Nothing is as powerful as a good idea. We constantly generate new ideas for our artists, and we do so with an entrepreneurial mindset. Jim Roppo, Monte and Avery Lipman understand the value of creativity, and they’ve made it a top priority at Republic Records. Plus, they’ve given us the freedom and support to truly make a difference. It’s an honor to work with such an exceptional team.”

+ BMI has named Martijn Tel Chief Financial Officer, reporting to president and CEO Mike O’Neill. Tel will additionally be a member of the company’s executive leadership team, based in BMI’s New York office.

“Martijn's extensive experience, particularly working with companies with ambitious growth aspirations, makes him an ideal fit for BMI at this time,” said O’Neill. “I look forward to collaborating with him and our team as we continue to implement strategic initiatives designed to achieve BMI's mission of enhancing the value of music for our creators and copyright owners.”

Tel brings extensive experience from leadership roles in finance at both publicly traded and privately held companies. Most recently, he served as the chief financial officer of Gerson Lehrman Group, a global leader in data and information services backed by the private equity firm SFW Capital Partners.

Tel joins two other recently appointed executives on the BMI leadership team whose appointments were announced in July, Chief Technology Officer Tom Kershaw and Chief Transformation Officer Justin Rohde.

+ Sony Music Publishing has entered into an exclusive worldwide co-publishing agreement with songwriter and producer Jeremy Stover , covering future works. In addition, the company has acquired several songs from Stover and RED Creative Group including Tim McGraw’s “7500 OBO,” as well as Justin Moore’s “With A Woman You Love,” “We Didn’t Have Much” and “You, Me, And Whiskey.”

Stover’s current releases include Moore’s “This Is My Dirt” and Ashley McBryde’s “The Devil I Know,” as well as recent tracks from Luke Combs, Priscilla Block and Travis Denning.

Rusty Gaston, CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville, said, “Jeremy Stover is a master at weaving rural narratives with sonic sophistication. His productions and songs are full of emotion and resonate deeply with listeners. We are excited to partner with Jeremy and Red Creative and look forward to a bright and successful future together.”

Stover added, “I am incredibly excited to team up with my long-time friend Rusty and the talented team at Sony. My passion lies in storytelling through country music. This partnership allows me to continue this passion at the highest level. Let’s get to work!”

+ Myst Music has announced a global agreement with The Orchard for distribution and label services.

Myst Music, co-founded by CEO Amrita Sen and company President Jay Kovitz in 2023, aims to introduce South Asian music to a global audience. Based in Los Angeles, Myst Music provides product development strategies and services to their artists. Their creative team includes German mixer, writer, and producer Alex Winter and Korean electronic-pop producer Jake Jeong (Frison).

Through this partnership, Myst Music artists will gain access to The Orchard’s comprehensive range of artist and label services, including its advanced technology, marketing, promotion, rights management, sync licensing, advertising, and more. Sri Lankan musician, actress and model Jacqueline Fernandez will be the first musical act under this new agreement, with her music scheduled for release in September.

+ Spotify is organizing a three-day educational event named “ La Tierra de Música Mexicana ” in Los Angeles, featuring artists and industry leaders such as DannyLux, Gabito Ballesteros, Oscar Maydon, Los Primos del Este, Alex Favela, Estevie, and Ivonne Galaz.

During the first two days, the event will feature a series of invite-only panels, workshops, and performances designed for industry professionals. For more information and to view the complete schedule, visit here .

+ Norwegian indie labels, Propeller Recordings, Indie Recordings and 777 Music, have merged to form a new label group called Sounds Like Gold .

Headquartered in Oslo, Norway and partnering with Virgin Music Group globally, Sounds Like God is managed by the founders of Propeller Recordings, Indie Recordings and 777 Music to provide distribution, marketing, administration and creative support to teams working with artists like boy pablo, Highasakite, Gåte and Jan Eggum. Among the management team at Sounds Like Gold are 777 Music founders and former heads of Virgin Music Group’s Nordic operation Kristine Bjørnstad and Tim Dunham.

“This group of labels represents a powerful creative force of executives and artists in a very important region of the world,” said Nick Roden, co-president of Virgin Music Group Europe. “We look forward to working with them to expand their business in Norway and internationally in the coming months.”

“We are excited to continue building on our strong relationship with Virgin Music Group, which has been a key partner for several of our labels as they have grown. Virgin's new structure and vision aligns well with our group's goals of providing top-notch artist partnerships,” said Bjørnstad, a managing partner of Sounds Like Gold.

Sounds Like Gold has also taken over operations of the record label Grappa and its associated labels. Grappa founder and Norwegian industry veteran Helge Westbye is also joining the group as chairman of its board.

+ Tizita Makuria has been promoted to senior VP of A&R for Pulse Music Group . Makuria previously served as VP at Pulse Music Group.

Makuria, recognized as a Hitmaker in 2018 by Variety , played a key role in the very first signing to Pulse Records following its launch, securing a creative joint venture between Pulse Records and Brent Faiyaz’s ISO Supremacy, featuring chart-topping artist Tommy Richman. The A&R team quickly made their mark and helped propel Richman’s single “Million Dollar Baby” to the top of global charts, now a hugely popular single with over a billion streams.

Makuria’s direct artist and writer roster includes Fallen, producer of “Roses” by Saint Jhn, Doja Cat’s “Gun” and “Go Off,” and “Sensational” for Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay, among many others. Makuria joined Pulse Music Group in 2022 as VP of A&R. Before that, Makuria served as senior director of A&R for Artist Publishing Group (APG).

+ Independent distributor Idol , which provides artist and label services to its curated roster, has entered into a global partnership with independent music imprint City Slang . Idol will oversee digital distribution, digital marketing and audience development for City Slang’s primary releases and projects worldwide.

The Berlin-based independent label will leverage Idol’s specialized audience development teams and extensive global network to enhance its digital marketing strategy. Idol will also bring its analytical expertise to the table, utilizing cutting-edge tools to monitor playlist additions and catalog consumption.

As part of the agreement, Idol will handle the distribution of Caribou’s upcoming album, “Honey,” slated for release on Oct. 4, along with music from Efterklang, Faux Real, Jessica Pratt, Lambrini Girls, Los Bitchos and Sprints, and established acts Calexico, Tindersticks and Lambchop.

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