For decades, the United States has dominated the global music business, both as its largest market by revenue and as a singular source of talent and repertoire.
But during Bad Bunny’s historic and joyous 13-minute-long Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on Feb. 8, the Puerto Rican superstar redefined “America.”
“God bless America,” he shouted. “Sea [Be it] Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, República Dominicana, Jamaica … United States, Canada and my motherland, mi barrio, Puerto Rico — seguimo aquí [we’re still here].”
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It was a profound moment, a recognition of the true reach of “American” culture, and just one example of the global forces reshaping the music business today.
Here’s another.
Consider two singers — one born in Hawaii, whose ancestry, according to a genealogist, includes Puerto Rico, Hungary, Ukraine and the Philippines; the other born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, of Korean descent.
Those artists, Bruno Mars and Rosé, teamed up for the hit single “APT.” and, in February, the song was named IFPI’s biggest selling global single of 2025.
“Rosé and Bruno Mars topping the IFPI Global Single chart with ‘APT.’ is a landmark moment,” IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley said. “This year’s results also underline the global reach of today’s music market, with songs connecting across languages and borders.”
Billboard’s Global Power Players celebrates the executives from key industry sectors — nominated by their firms and peers and chosen by our editors — who have primary responsibility for markets outside the United States.
These are markets that account for some 60% of the world’s recorded-music revenue, led by Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, France, South Korea, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, according to IFPI’s 2025 Global Music Report. (IFPI will release its 2026 report with updated rankings on March 18.)
Amid the scores of high-achieving individuals listed here, we highlight a dozen who work in music capitals from Tokyo to London, Miami to Melbourne, Australia.
We’ve asked them what they view as the greatest challenge now facing the global music industry.
Avex CEO Katsumi Kuroiwa emphasizes the need for the music industry to balance “global scale with local cultural expertise.” Companies, he says, must “operate with deep understanding across multiple regions, cultures and markets simultaneously.”
Phil Rodríguez, whose Move Concerts presented Bad Bunny’s residency in Puerto Rico, highlights the need for improved touring infrastructure — new venues — in emerging markets.
Tunde Balogun, founder and CEO of Love Renaissance (LVRN), cites “the reluctance to learn and grow with new technology such as AI.”
But Jon Ollier, who founded his booking, management and digital marketing company, One Fiinix Live, during the pandemic, takes a broader view.
“Honestly, I am not being flippant here,” he says, “but the threats to democracy and global peace are the biggest challenges we face. I can’t say this strongly enough: Live music needs the world to maintain peace to survive and thrive and we should all be doing what we can to defend this.”
Music Groups: Global
Johannes von SchwarzkopfChief strategy officer, BMGAlberto ChullenExecutive vp of investments, BMGNitsa KalisperaExecutive vp of global supply chain, BMG
Rebecca BermanSenior vp of international, Concord Label Group
“I continue to be proud of how forward-thinking Concord is as a company,” Berman says. “Having been here for 18 years, I’ve seen us grow from a small independent label to a force that can compete with the biggest music companies on the planet. This year our strategic acquisitions/investments in companies like Stem and Giant Records show our ambition to remain at the forefront of the recorded-music space.”
Favorite recent musical moment: “I was honored to take part in several events this year for We Are Moving the Needle, including their Resonator Awards. The foundation works to expand education and career opportunities for women and nonbinary people in recording and engineering — fields where they remain severely underrepresented. These events were truly empowering and inspiring to be part of. One highlight was seeing Joni Mitchell present Chaka Khan with an award for her cultural impact at the Resonator Awards.”
What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “We are a force that should not be underestimated.”
The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “The challenges presented by the intersection of technology and humanity. A simple response to a much more complicated issue.”
In January, Khan was presented the Luminary Award by Mitchell at the annual Resonator Awards. Christopher PolkMelissa ThomasExecutive vp of international marketing for U.S. repertoire, Sony Music EntertainmentNaoise RyanSenior vp of U.S. international marketing, Epic Records/RCA RecordsGeorgina HiltonSenior director of U.S. international marketing, Arista Records/Columbia Records
Adam GraniteCEO of Africa, Middle East and Asia, Universal Music GroupNatasha BaldwinPresident of global classics, jazz and screen, Universal Music Group/Universal Music Group PublishingMichelle TehSenior vp of global classics and jazz, Universal Music Group
Eric WongExecutive vp of recorded music, Warner Music Group; president, East West Records; president, Warner Music CanadaJessica Keeley-CarterPresident of marketing and business analytics, Warner Music GroupPhebe HunnicuttSenior vp of integrated marketing services and strategy, Warner Music GroupSamira LeitmannstetterSenior vp of Europe, Middle East and Africa, regional marketing, Warner Music Group
Music Groups: Canada
Shane CarterPresident, Sony Music Canada
Julie AdamPresident/CEO, Universal Music Canada
Julia HummelMadelaine NapoleoneCo-GMs, Warner Music Canada
Music Groups: Europe, Middle East, Africa
Alistair NorburyPresident of U.K., Europe and Asia-Pacific, BMG
Daniel LieberbergPresident of continental Europe and Africa, Sony Music EntertainmentChristoph BehmCEO, Sony Music Entertainment Germany, Switzerland, AustriaMarie-Anne RobertManaging director, Sony Music Entertainment France
Jason IleyChairman/CEO, Sony Music U.K. and Ireland
Frank BriegmannChairman/CEO of Universal Music Central Europe/Deutsche GrammophonOlivier NusseCEO, Universal Music France/Universal Music Africa (French-speaking)Patrick BoulosCEO of Middle East and North Africa, Universal Music GroupJoakim JohanssonPresident of Universal Music Nordics, Universal Music Central Europe
Dickon StainerChairman/CEO, Universal Music Group U.K. and IrelandRebecca AllenChief artist and strategy officer, Universal Music Group U.K. and IrelandNickie OwenPresident of international marketing, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland
Simon RobsonPresident of Europe, Middle East and Africa recorded music, Warner Music GroupAlain VeillePresident of Warner Music FrancePico CibelliPresident of Warner Music ItalyMark FryPresident of Warner Music NordicsNiels WalboomersPresident of Warner Music Central Europe, Benelux/Spinnin’ Records/Warner Chappell Music Benelux
Ed HowardBriony TurnerCo-presidents, Atlantic Records U.K.Joe KentishPresident, Warner Records U.K./Parlophone Label Group
Music Groups: Latin
Afo VerdeChairman/CEO, Sony Music Latin IberiaMaria FernándezExecutive vp/COO, Sony Music Latin IberiaFernando CabralCEO, Sony Music Entertainment BrazilJose María BarbatPresident, Sony Music IberiaRoberto LópezPresident, Sony Music MexicoDamian AmatoPresident, Sony Music Hispanic South AmericaHerb PayánExecutive vp of digital strategy and ancillary revenue, Sony Music Latin IberiaCristiane SimõesSenior vp/label head, Sony Music BrazilTatiana CantinhoSenior vp/label head, Som Livre
Jesús LópezChairman/CEO, Universal Music Latin America and Iberian PeninsulaPaulo LimaPresident, Universal Music BrazilAlfredo DelgadilloPresident/CEO, Universal Music MexicoAna Clara OrtizPresident/CEO, Universal Music Southern ConeLuis Fernández SanzPresident, Universal Music Spain
Alejandro DuquePresident, Warner Music Latin America; president, ADAGuillermo González ArévaloPresident, Warner Music IberiaLeila OliveiraPresident, Warner Music BrazilTomás RodrÍguezPresident, Warner Music Mexico and Mexican Music
Music Groups: Australasia
Katsumi KuroiwaCEO, AvexBrandon SilversteinCEO, Avex Music Group
“Avex has made visible progress on its long-term global strategy, Avex Vision 2027, which focuses on building a sustainable global platform spanning music, [intellectual property] creation and artist development beyond Japan,” says Kuroiwa, who named Brandon Silverstein the CEO of the U.S-based Avex Music Group in March 2025.
“A key milestone was a Grammy Award win,” Kuroiwa adds. “In February, songwriter Kamal Wilson, signed to our North American hub, Avex Music Group, won best R&B song at the 68th Grammy Awards for Kehlani’s ‘Folded.’ Having a song — for which Avex holds the publishing rights — receive this level of global recognition reflects the continued strengthening of our global publishing and creative infrastructure.
“Avex Music Group has also expanded its global publishing footprint through work with leading international artists. Recent credits include Drake’s ‘Nokia,’ Rihanna’s ‘Friend of Mine,’ Justin Bieber’s ‘Swag,’ Shenseea’s ‘Shake It to the Max,’ ‘Lose My Mind’ by Don Toliver featuring Doja Cat from the F1 film soundtrack and [the] Tate McRae hits ‘Sports Car,’ ‘Revolving Door’ and ‘Tit for Tat.’ These works highlight the depth of Avex’s songwriting and creative network across genres and markets.”
Favorite recent musical moment: “Seeing XG perform at Coachella on one of the world’s most influential global stages. Their reception reflected not only musical success but also genuine cultural connection, showing how Japanese artists can resonate authentically with audiences around the world.”
What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “Avex is building a global, 360-degree platform that integrates the creation, development and long-term expansion of intellectual property across music, publishing, management and creative industries.
“Through the creative capabilities of Avex Music Group and its partnership with S10 Entertainment, Avex has strengthened its ability to operate across key global markets while maintaining cultural authenticity and a long-term view on artist development.
“At the same time, Avex continues to invest in talent cultivation through initiatives, which provides structured training and development programs for emerging artists, creators and producers. By combining global infrastructure with local cultural understanding, Avex aims to support artists in building durable international careers rather than short-lived success.”
The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “Balancing global scale with local cultural expertise. Streaming has removed many geographic barriers, creating unprecedented opportunities for artists worldwide. At the same time, it has raised expectations for music companies to operate with deep understanding across multiple regions, cultures and markets simultaneously.
“For Avex, this reinforces the importance of building an integrated global ecosystem that connects creative development, publishing, management and marketing while respecting cultural nuance. Our continued investment in global partnerships and infrastructure reflects our belief that long-term international growth requires both global reach and local insight.”
Wilson, signed to Avex Music Group, won best R&B song at the Grammys in February for Kehlani’s “Folded.” Leon Bennett/Getty ImagesMatt GudinskiChief executive, Mushroom Group
It has been five years since Matt Gudinski took the reins of Mushroom Group, following the death in March 2021 of his father, Australian music industry pioneer Michael Gudinski.
In 2023, Matt Gudinski oversaw the 50th anniversary of Mushroom, with an operation that spans recording, publishing, touring and booking agencies, merchandise and marketing services, venues, exhibition and events production, neighboring rights, branding, talent management and more. Based in Melbourne, Australia, the company has a global reach.
Multiple Mushroom Group artists landed nominations at the 2025 Australian Recording Industry Association Awards, including Confidence Man, Gordi, Mia Wray, The Teskey Brothers, Tobiahs, Bliss n Eso and Kylie Minogue, whose 2025 Tension tour was produced by Frontier Touring on its Australian leg. A companion live album, released through Mushroom Music, reached No. 14 on the ARIA Chart (as of Feb. 20) for Minogue’s 23rd top 20 album, a career tally that includes nine No. 1s.
Asked for one recent company milestone, Gudinski replies: “With so many parts to the Mushroom Group, it’s always hard to pick just one. But in 2025, our annual event Fridayz Live selling out with 160,000 tickets across four shows was a clear highlight.”
Favorite recent musical moment: “I might be biased, given he was one of the artists on our Fridayz Live 2025 event, but seeing the huge organic fan-led movement for Pitbull was inspiring, especially with the way he and his team leaned into it. We saw tens of thousands dressed up in full Pitbull cosplay across our Fridayz shows, which was a pretty memorable sight.”
What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “The Mushroom Group is stronger than ever across all our divisions and continues to be the market leader in Australia after 53 years. We continue to expand our footprint globally across all areas, live events, merchandise, talent and rights management, artist development and content creation.”
The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “Our greatest challenge is also our greatest opportunity, and that is with the amount of amazing talent worldwide, it is making it harder to cut through and build long-term success for artists. Our challenge is helping build career artists and ensuring all the amazing artists have the success they deserve in a saturated market.”
Minogue, whose 2025 Tension tour was produced by Frontier Touring on its Australian leg, released a companion live album through Mushroom Music. Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty ImagesShunsuke MuramatsuPresident, Sony Music Entertainment JapanAndrew ChanCEO, Sony Music Entertainment Greater ChinaShridhar SubramaniamPresident of Asia and Middle East, Sony Music EntertainmentVinnit ThakkarManaging director, India, Sony Music Entertainment
Cussion PangExecutive chairman, Tencent Music Entertainment GroupZhu “Ross” LiangCEO/director, Tencent Music Entertainment Group
Naoshi FujikuraPresident/CEO, Universal Music JapanTimothy XuChairman/CEO, Universal Music Greater ChinaCalvin WongCEO, Universal Music Southeast Asia; senior vp of Asia, Universal Music GroupDevraj SanyalChairman/CEO, Universal Music India and South Asia; senior vp of strategy for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Universal Music GroupSean WarnerPresident, Universal Music Australia and New Zealand
Dan RosenPresident of Warner Music Australasia and Southeast AsiaTakeshi OkadaPresident/CEO of Warner Music JapanJay MehtaManaging director of Warner Music India/South Asian Association for Regional CooperationLofai LoPresident of Asian Pacific recorded music, Warner Music Group
Streaming
Paul FirthDirector of global music industry, Amazon MusicRocío GuerreroDirector of music for Latin-Iberia, Amazon MusicLaura LukanzHead of music for U.K., Amazon Music
Rachel NewmanOle ObermannCo-heads, Apple MusicAnjali MalhotraGlobal director, Apple Music ClassicalJuan PazGlobal head, Latin music business, Apple Music
Charlotte BwanaVp of marketing, Europe, Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Audiomack
Matt GralenPresident/CFO, The Beatport GroupHelen SartoryChief revenue officer, The Beatport Group
Alexis LanternierCEO, Deezer
In December, Billboard reported that “Deezer has driven the conversation about AI music on streaming services this year by releasing a series of increasingly eye-opening reports.”
“Not only that,” Lanternier recently added, “Deezer has been the only major streaming service taking action to promote transparency and fairness by detecting and tagging AI-generated music and removing it from algorithmic recommendations. This way, Deezer gives its users a clear choice regarding what to listen to, while making it harder for fraudsters to game the system.
“All of this is made possible by Deezer’s proprietary and patent-pending AI detection technology, which was put in use [in] December 2024,” Lanternier says.
“In the past 18 months, Deezer has also continued the rollout and development of its artist-centric payment system, which not only supports fairer payments for artists and songwriters on the platform but also makes it harder to commit fraud through boosting streams for individual users.
“All of these actions align with Deezer’s mission to help music thrive, fighting for the artists that create it and the fans that live it. Most platforms treat music as content to monetize, but we believe it’s art to protect and culture to experience.”
Favorite recent musical moment: “Definitely our special-edition Purple Door event with Marguerite, Miki, Camille Yembe and Saaro from our Deezer Next program. Purple Door is our flagship event series where we bring artists and fans together in an intimate setting. Deezer Next is our dedicated program that has helped emerging artists reach new listeners and grow their fan base since 2017.
“With a special-edition Purple Door, we brought these four artists and some of their most devoted fans together for a truly unique experience. All artists gave fantastic performances, and the superfans in the room made the ambience electric. I discovered all the artists myself through Deezer Next and became a fan after this event. Experiences like this are exactly what we want to create, building strong and lasting connections between fans and artists through unforgettable moments.”
What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “Music deserves a future that puts creators and culture first and we’re here to protect it, elevate it and fight for it.
“This approach has brought attention to Deezer globally in 2025, especially when it comes to transparency and fairness in relation to AI music. In the years to come, we will continue to lead the way, delivering solutions and promoting initiatives that bring value to the music ecosystem, artists, songwriters and fans. This includes a continued focus on fairer streaming remuneration.”
The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “Definitely AI music. With over 60,000 AI-generated tracks being delivered to Deezer every day, and no doubt to all other stream platforms, it’s an unprecedented development and we are far away from seeing the full impact yet.
“The use of AI is not the issue in itself. New tools have always changed how music has been created. But with the possibility to create thousands of tracks in a matter of minutes with just a text prompt, we are now facing a whole new set of challenges, especially when it comes to streaming fraud.
“By detecting, tagging and excluding AI-generated music from algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists, we are not only making it a choice for our users to listen to AI-music [but] also removing opportunities for committing streaming fraud with AI music. Simply put, fraudsters could artificially boost a track and trick the recommendation algorithm to pick it up, and unknowing casual listeners will continue to stream the song, making money for fraudsters.
“This is impossible with Deezer’s setup, and that’s why we’re seeing so few streams on AI-generated music on our platform. We have now made our detection tool available for licensing, and we’re hoping that more streaming services and other music industry actors will join us in our fight for transparency and fairness when it comes to AI-generated music.”
Deezer’s Purple Door event featured rising talent from the Deezer Next program including Yembe. Goray Prod for DeezerGeorges FornayDeputy CEO, QobuzDan MacktaManaging director of North America and Northern Europe, Qobuz
Ama WaltonGeneral counsel/executive vp, SoundCloud
Mark ButterworthGlobal head of songwriter, publisher and commercial label partnerships, SpotifyMelanie ParejoHead of music for Southern and Eastern Europe, SpotifyKossy NgHead of music for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, SpotifyAndy Sloan-VincentHead of music for Northern Europe, Spotify
Paul SmithManaging director, Asian Pacific music, YouTubeSandra JimenezRegional director, Latin American and U.S. Latin music, YouTubeDan ChalmersHead of music, Europe, Middle East and Africa, YouTube
Labels, Distributors, Artist and Label Services
Sean MiyashiroFounder/CEO, 88rising
Adriana SeinGlobal head of artist and market development, ADAHoward CornerManaging director, ADA U.K.Marylynne DrexlerGlobal head of content acquisition and business and legal affairs, ADANikoo SadrHead, ADA NordicsJoão AlquéresVp, ADA Brazil
Colin GayleCo-founder/CEO, Africa Creative AgencyYvette GayleCo-founder/COO, Africa Creative AgencyBrandon HixonTirinda HixonCo-founders, We Make Music
Maykel PironCo-founder/CEO, Armada Music Group
Jan Willem KaasschieterCEO, ArtoneDrew HillManaging director, Proper Music Distribution
Torsten LuthExecutive vp of international, Atlantic Music Group
Paul HitchmanCOO, AWALVictoria NeedsCo-managing director, AWALBen AkinbolaHead of growth, AWAL
Emmanuel De BuretelCo-founder/CEO, Because Music
Martin MillsChairman, Beggars GroupPaul ReddingCEO, Beggars GroupBrandon BeckerGlobal vp of streaming, Beggars GroupImelda HehirGlobal streaming manager, Beggars GroupEmily KendrickGM, XL Recordings
Romain VivienGlobal head of music/president of Europe, BelieveViktoria SiniavskaiaPresident of Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, East and Southern Europe, Americas, BelieveSylvain DelangePresident of Asia-Pacific, BelieveBrian MillerChief revenue officer, TuneCore
Dan WaiteCEO, Better Noise Music
“Known for being the artist development label, Better Noise Music signed [Sweden’s] SABATON, the No. 1 power metal band in the world, who wanted to break in the U.S.,” says Waite, whose globally focused label drove the Swedish rockers to No. 10 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with “Crossing the Rubicon” (featuring Nothing More).
“We also worked with Five Finger Death Punch to rerecord their biggest hits, to help with a dispute with their prior label, resulting in two best-of albums.” The latter contained the band’s single “The End” featuring Japanese rockers Babymetal, which topped Mainstream Rock Airplay.
“Nothing More had their fourth No. 1 [“House on Sand”] from their Carnal album,” Waite adds, “and The Funeral Portrait had their third No. 1 in a row [“Dark Thoughts”] from their album Greetings From Suffocate City, making chart history… reaching No. 1 on their first three radio releases.”
Favorite recent musical moment: “When two label bands go on the road together it’s always special, and that happened twice in 2025 with Nothing More and Solence, and also with The Rasmus and The Funeral Portrait.
“But the real highlight was seeing SABATON headline the O2 [Arena] for its Legendary Tour. The stage was built to resemble a medieval castle; the drum riser was a castle turret with gas-fired lanterns burning all around; actors playing Napoleon, Caesar, Genghis Khan and a Knight Templar introduced tracks as the band played from the Legends album, which highlights 11 historical figures from history in a power metal style. That was a culmination of a lot of work in an amazing venue.”
What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “Artists come to Better Noise Music as they want to grow their audience; have success at streaming, digital, radio and on tour; and we work to their strengths with our specific methods across departments, globally, with bespoke plans.
“We can break new acts like The Funeral Portrait; give acts a boost in their career like Yellowcard, who just had their first No. 1 single and largest hit since 2003; take bands like the Mongolian language throat singing metal act The Hu and make them a main-stage televised festival act with global appeal; and take arena acts and expand the reach of a U.S.-focused act globally or a European act into the U.S. like SABATON.”
The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “There are several issues. Consolidation of distribution routes to market; the undervaluing of music in microstreaming payment terms; AI noise and fraud; the growth of podcasts and audiobooks eating into listening hours; tariffs, red tape and inflation for tours and global merch. You have to stay nimble and move fast. We need a healthy ecosystem of [digital service providers] — and DSPs as shortform video platforms need healthy terms with labels and their artists.”
Swedish group SABATON reached No. 10 on Mainstream Rock Airplay with “Crossing the Rubicon” featuring Nothing More. Scott Legato/Getty ImagesBrianne DeslippeSenior vp of marketing, Big Loud Records
“One of the things I’m most proud of is how intentionally we’ve grown our international presence,” Deslippe says. “We’ve celebrated multiple streaming wins and sold out international tour dates with Stephen Wilson Jr., The 502s, Dylan Gossett, Morgan Wallen and more.
“Seeing artists connect meaningfully with fans outside the U.S. and knowing that growth was thoughtful, and not forced, has been rewarding,” she says.
Favorite recent musical moment: “The most memorable moment for me was Morgan’s underplay at the Roundhouse in London last May. It was an intimate, filmed concert that felt incredibly rare and special to be a part of. That same week, his album hit No. 1 in the U.K., allowing him to celebrate the milestone in real time with his fans, making him only the fifth country artist to reach that achievement. It was a powerful reminder of how far music can travel when it connects authentically, and it remains a highlight of my career.”
What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “We care deeply about growth, but we care just as much about sustainability, creativity and keeping the human side of this business intact.”
The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “There’s so much music, so much data and so much pressure to chase the next moment. The real work is slowing down enough to make decisions that serve artists and fans long term.”
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