There’s a big change happening at the top of one of Warner Music Group‘s most important global divisions.
Cat Kreidich is leaving her role as President of ADA Worldwide, WMG’s distribution and services division for indie labels and artists.
Kreidich joined ADA as Executive Vice President in 2020, before being promoted to President in 2021.
She succeeded Eliah Seton – now CEO of SoundCloud – in the position.
In an internal note sent to ADA colleagues today (July 22) and obtained by MBW, Kreidich said: “We built an exceptional global team and expanded our global release volume, revitalized our brand identity, and developed a digital platform specifically designed for independent artists and labels within the Warner supply chain. We made strategic acquisitions like RSDL, which Warner will go on to use to help fuel their entire recorded music business.”
In his own internal note, Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group, said: “Cat is a class act. A bold thinker and decisive leader, she’s always focused on what’s best for the indie community – its artists, its labels, and its spirit. Under her leadership, ADA has grown its relationships across the creative ecosystem, expanded its global reach, and strengthened its team and tech.”
Kyncl promised WMG’s staffers “an update on ADA leadership [later] this week”.
Kreidich’s departure comes amid an increasing focus across the industry on the majors’ independent services arms.
Just last month, Rob Stringer, Chairman of Sony Music Group, told Sony investors: “In an environment where nearly half the marketplace is made up of the independent music sector, sales flowing through [Sony’s] independent distribution businesses more than doubled the last four years.”
Stringer noted that The Orchard now represents over 26,000 labels, while AWAL works with over 20,000 artists; he also claimed that “none of our competitors come close to that magnitude of scale”.
Meanwhile, Universal Music Group is heavily investing in the global scale of its own indie services division, Virgin Music Group (VMG).
Last year, VMG completed the acquisition of Europe’s [PIAS], while also announcing its proposed buyout of Downtown Music Holdings – home of FUGA.
Universal/Virgin’s potential acquisition of Downtown will now, as confirmed earlier today, be scrutinized by the European Commission’s regulators in a ‘phase two’ investigation of the deal.
Said regulators could wave through the acquisition, or alternatively force UMG into modifying the buyout in Europe – including potential divestments.
Label deals signed at ADA under Kreidich’s tenure included agreements with Rostrum Records and Three Six Zero Records.
ADA has also recently signed deals with indie artists such as Flume, Kesha, BANKS, and Paris Hilton.Music Business Worldwide
