MBW’s World Leaders is an everyday sequence by which we flip the highlight in the direction of a number of the most influential trade figures overseeing key worldwide markets. On this function, we converse to Alejandro Duque, President of Warner Music Latin America. World Leaders is supported by PPL.
Latin Music is making critical affect on the worldwide music enterprise.
MBW’s personal forecast, based mostly on knowledge launched by the RIAA, means that the recorded music marketplace for Latin artists within the US is on target to generate over $1 billion {dollars} in income throughout the 12 months of 2022.
Commenting on this progress trajectory, talking with MBW, Alejandro Duque, President of Warner Music Latin America, says: “Latin music has gone mainstream within the US, and is having an enormous artistic and business affect.”
“You’ll see pure Latin music generate greater than US $1 billion once more within the US this yr, however it’s nonetheless solely round 6% of the market up from simply 4% a number of years in the past,” he provides.
Miami-based Duque notes that there’s nonetheless “loads of room for progress” within the sector, and factors to “numerous thrilling experimentation with Latin artists collaborating with others from completely different genres and backgrounds” as proof for additional even additional success for Latin music.
Such cross-genre collaborative efforts may be seen with the likes of Variations of Me, from Warner Data-signed Brazilian famous person Annita.
Launched earlier this yr, it options US-based star visitor artists from Cardi B to Ty Dolla $ign and Saweetie.
Duque was named President of Warner Music Latin America in June 2021, having spent 16 years previous to that at Common Music Group, most not too long ago as Managing Director of Common Music Latino, Machete and Capitol Latin.
Duque joined Common in 2005 by way of Common Music Colombia, the place he was New Media Supervisor and rose to Digital Supervisor of Latin America for Common Music in 2007, earlier than being promoted once more to Head of Gross sales & Enterprise Growth for Common Music Latin America (Southern Cone) in 2009.
On this function, Duque managed all of Common’s revenue-generating actions in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia, the place he achieved a +200% progress in Digital Revenues throughout a two-year interval.
In 2012, Duque was promoted to VP, Enterprise Growth & Digital – Latin America for Common, earlier than stepping up once more in 2016 to Common Supervisor of Common Music Latino, Machete and Capitol Latin. In 2019, Common upped Duque to develop into Managing Director of those self same three corporations.
Right here, Duque offers us an summary of his function as President of Warner Music Latin America and his predictions for the expansion of the Latin music trade.
how and why did you first get into the music enterprise?
I really feel like I’ve been within the music enterprise my complete life, or a minimum of for so long as I can bear in mind, as my father was additionally within the trade. So ever since I used to be very younger, I’ve had a ardour for music, for studios and for the enterprise as a complete.
After faculty, I might normally go to a studio and annoy folks. Nonetheless, my first official job within the trade was doing digital licensing for an impartial label in Colombia known as JAN Music.
What recommendation would you give to a younger govt beginning out within the enterprise immediately?
My recommendation is that you might want to be really obsessed with music and the function you play in it. It’s important to be open to be taught from everybody and it’s a must to present up – you might want to be there at reveals, at occasions, at conferences and at any potential networking and studying alternative.
“Constructing robust relationships and connections is such an vital a part of our job.”
It’s actually vital that you simply present up and attempt to achieve as a lot expertise and data from as many individuals as potential. Constructing robust relationships and connections is such an vital a part of our job.
Who had been a few of your mentors, and what had been a few the largest classes you discovered from them?
I’ve been very fortunate to have a variety of nice mentors and probably the most invaluable lesson I learnt from all of them is that it’s all concerning the group. It’s important to encompass your self with a terrific group that’s all pushing in the identical course.
Even with the artists, in the event that they don’t have the best group round them, it makes issues rather a lot tougher and generally it’s the rationale issues don’t at all times work out.
You had been named President of Warner Music Latin America in June 2021. Inform us about your aims going into the function?
There have been a number of key areas I needed to deal with. Considered one of them was digging deeper into Mexican music. It’s a really substantial alternative that I felt we might do extra to faucet.
So we’ve put an actual focus into that market and have had some nice outcomes, signing DannyLux and having a No.1 together with his debut album. And we’ve not too long ago signed a gaggle known as Pesado, who we’re actually enthusiastic about. We’ve actually upped our launch schedule in that market.
The opposite factor we did was to restructure our advertising and marketing group and reshape our regional advertising and marketing technique. This has already resulted in some very profitable campaigns for artists comparable to Anitta and Paulo Londra, who had been not too long ago at No.1 and No.2 on the Spotify International Chart, in addition to for Danny Ocean, who’s simply loved a worldwide High 20 hit.
What have been a number of the highlights to date, by way of artist success tales, signings and many others?
Signing Ovy On The Drums has been an enormous spotlight, as he’s the largest Latin music producer proper now and one of many prime 5 largest producers within the US, so working with him is de facto thrilling.
One other nice artist we’re very enthusiastic about is Tiago PZK, who has already had 4 High 100 songs on Spotify and is beginning to make waves on the reside facet, with appearances in Lollapalooza Argentina and Chile, and with reveals in Mexico that sold-out in beneath two hours.
What are your long-term predictions for Latin music artists globally?
Latin artists will proceed to account for an rising proportion of world hits, pushed by excessive streaming numbers within the area and by successful new followers over all over the world.
“Latin artists will proceed to account for an rising proportion of world hits, pushed by excessive streaming numbers within the area and by successful new followers over all over the world.”
We’ll additionally see an increasing number of cross-cultural collaborations, not simply with Anglo stars, however with artists from everywhere in the world. For instance, there are significantly robust connections between Latin and African music that provide all kinds of thrilling alternatives.
Wherein particular Latin American markets is Warner Music seeing probably the most progress, and potential for progress, this yr?
Our largest progress market is the US, which I notice isn’t technically in Latin America, however it has a Latin inhabitants of greater than 60 million folks and Individuals of different heritages are more and more participating with Latin music and tradition.
You’ll see robust progress for a variety of years. We’re additionally enthusiastic about ramping up our exercise in markets comparable to Argentina and Mexico, so there’s an enormous unfold of alternative.
What are the largest misconceptions concerning the wider Latin music enterprise?
Individuals who don’t know an excessive amount of concerning the Latin music enterprise are inclined to lump every part collectively in a single style. That’s an enormous false impression – there’s a complete universe inside Latin music! There’s an enormous number of rhythms, cultures and music from Brazilian funk to Argentine entice, Musica Mexicana to business pop and every part in between.
What are the largest challenges for the worldwide music enterprise in 2022?
We’re nonetheless seeking to convey extra folks into the music ecosystem. In lots of Latin American markets there are challenges round billing and funds if we wish to get all music followers signed as much as licensed streaming companies.
We are able to at all times do extra to enhance drive neighbouring rights income in rising economies and we’re working with accumulating societies to do this. If we are able to overcome such challenges there are probably enormous rewards that’ll allow us to do much more to construct up native artist rosters.
If there was one factor you might change concerning the world music enterprise, what would it not be, and why?
I’d like to dispel a number of the myths across the music enterprise. There’s numerous misinformation concerning the function of the file label and we have to redouble our efforts to point out how we add worth to artists.
I might hate artists to overlook their probability at constructing long-term careers in music as a result of they deal with short-term objectives somewhat than a technique that’ll take them to a worldwide viewers and revel in lasting success.
World Leaders is supported by PPL, a number one worldwide neighbouring rights collector, with best-in-class operations that assist performers and recording rightsholders all over the world maximise their royalties. Based in 1934, PPL collects cash from throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. It has collected over £500 million internationally for its members since 2006.Music Enterprise Worldwide
