Time flies: it’s been two and a half years since Lyor Cohen joined YouTube as global Head of Music.
In addition to launching YouTube Music – which counted 16m paying subscribers as of the end of March – Cohen’s major moves in the hotseat have included the hiring of well regarded ex-Warner Music Group exec Stephen Bryan, who joined YouTube as Head of Label Relations from SoundCloud in 2017.
Now, Cohen has poached another widely respected Warner veteran – this time directly from the major music group – to run YouTube Music in EMEA.
MBW’s sources tell us that Dan Chalmers (pictured), currently President of ADA – Warner’s independent services and distribution arm – in the UK, will be joining YouTube, reporting to Cohen.
We’re told London-based Chalmers, who has worked for Warner for the past two decades, isn’t expected to make the YouTube move until towards the end of this year.
The news of Chalmers’ appointment was first reported by British industry newsletter Record Of The Day earlier today.
ADA UK has worked with the likes of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Stormzy in recent years.
A long-standing lieutenant of Warner Music’s global head of recorded music, Max Lousada, Chalmers also currently heads up two UK-based Warner label imprints, East West and Rhino.
Speaking to MBW’s UK magazine, Music Business UK, last year, Chalmers said: “Max is incredibly passionate about the Warner culture and has been an amazing advocate and leader of it, and that filters down through the company. He’s got huge energy and is really inspiring to work for.”Music Business Worldwide
