Jeff Jones Departs as CEO of The Beatles’ Apple Corps

Jeff Jones will exit as the CEO of the Beatles’ Apple Corps Ltd after 17 years in the role, the company has announced Monday.

Apple Corps Ltd was founded in 1968 by the Beatles to control the band’s interests across music, film, publishing and more. Jones’ last efforts as CEO included spearheading the 2023 release of the final Beatles song, “Now and Then.”

Jones joined the company in 2007 following a role as an executive vice president at Sony/BMG. In a statement, the company wrote, “The whole Apple Corps family wishes Jeff Jones all the very best and would like to express our sincere gratitude for his invaluable contributions to the company and the legacy of The Beatles.”

+ Concord has purchased “key elements” of the music publishing and master recording catalog of Daddy Yankee. The deal spans songs from 2002 through 2019, including some of his most global hits: “Gasolina,” “Con Calma” and “Despacito.” Concord also owns the rights to his name, image and likeness.

The catalog will be managed out of Concord’s Miami office.

+ UK music supervision company 45RPM has announced the launch of a music publishing arm with the support of Universal Music Publishing Group.

“By venturing into music publishing, 45RPM will spotlight exceptionally talented composers and songwriters positioned for success in the world of Film, TV, Advertising, and Gaming,” wrote the company in a press release. “This collaboration provides a unique opportunity for composers and songwriters to benefit from dual expertise, blending the creative prowess of top music supervisors at 45RPM with the prestigious and comprehensive resources of Universal Music Publishing.”

“We are thrilled to embark on this innovative partnership with Universal Music Publishing Group,” added Ayla Owen, managing director of 45RPM. “Through this collaboration, composers and songwriters can access the best of both worlds: the specialised attention and industry insight of our seasoned music supervisors, combined with the expansive reach and legacy of Universal Music Publishing. Together, we aim to elevate the music creation process and amplify the voices of exceptional talents worldwide.”

“What we also very much hope to do in our partnership with UMPG is bring composers more into the world of creating songs and likewise help facilitate songwriters into composing music for Film and TV,” said Nick Angel, founder and director of 45RPM. “We’re perfectly placed to be a bridge for both, and would be delighted if we could in any way be a catalyst for both.”

+ FUGA has announced a new partnership with Manila-based management and production company, ASINTADA. The distributor also announced new hires across APAC, including Noorcahyo Istyabudi and Jaya Singh who will lead business development in Indonesia and South Asia respectively.

Founded in 2012, ASINTADA represents some of the local region’s hip-hop stars, including Filipino rapper, Gloc-9. As part of the wide-ranging partnership, FUGA will provide global distribution and bespoke marketing services to ASINTADA which will also benefit from access to the distributor’s trends and analytics platform.

+ Capitol Records has named Justin Grant senior VP/head of urban digital at the label. In his new role Grant will oversee the creation and execution of digital marketing campaigns on the label’s growing roster of R&B and hip hop artists. The company’s urban roster spans the label brands Capitol, Motown and Priority Records.

Grant comes to Capitol from Atlantic Records where he served as VP of digital marketing and sports partnerships. He spent a decade at Atlantic in all, beginning his career as an intern in 2014 before joining the digital marketing team a year later. Grant will be based in New York. Additionally Capitol announced the promotion of Dante Smith to the position of head of Motown Digital. In this new role, Smith will oversee digital marketing campaigns of Motown’s roster of artists, D2C efforts, and branding of Motown Records.

Over the past four years Smith has been an integral part of the digital marketing team, working closely with such artists as Quavo, Toosi, JT, Kali Uchis, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Ice Spice, Queen Naija, Migos and City Girls, to name a few. Smith came to Capitol in 2020, after stints at Revolt TV and HipHopDX.

+ Rock the Vote, Gaia Music Collective and Live Nation Women are launching “Rock the Vote: Make a Beautiful Noise,” a new initiative of 20 pop-up, one-day community choirs and early voting activations across the country.

The choirs will perform “A Beautiful Noise,” the Grammy-nominated song by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile, celebrating the strength of collective action and the power of diverse voices united in harmony. After each event, participants will be encouraged to vote early together.

There will be no auditions or prerequisites — “just a belief in the power of community, the joy of singing together, and the importance of making your voice heard in this election,” reads a press release. Participants will receive access to the song arrangement, demo, part-specific learning tracks and digital civic engagement tools upon RSVPing. Following the choir performances, which begin on Sunday, October 20th, in New York City, attendees will have the option to head to early voting locations together.

+ Sony Music Publishing Nashville today announced it has partnered with One4 Entertainment’s Brian Wright to sign singer-songwriter Sadie Bass to a global publishing deal. Bass has been writing and recording new music, which is set to be released in early 2025.

Bass has opened for prominent artists including Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett and Hank Williams Jr. She also recently performed at festivals including Rock The Country, Carolina Music Festival, Tortuga, and Faster Horses in her home state of Michigan. Additionally, she was featured on season 22 of “The Voice.”

+ Universal Music Group Nashville has promoted Damon Moberly to the position of senior VP of promotion, effective immediately. Moberly most recently served as senior VP and head of the Mercury Nashville radio promo team.

“Damon is such a champion of great artists and songs,” said UMGN Chair and CEO, Cindy Mabe. “His passion for music and his skillset of building people and teams makes him the perfect person to lead our promotion team to new depths. I’m honored to have Damon in this new role.”