Universal Music Canada has laid off employees across several departments, with more than 12 roles reportedly included in the staff reductions announced during a company town hall on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The cuts affected communications, marketing, A&R, label partnerships and administrative positions. Senior employees were also among those impacted, including at least one person with a vice president title and another with a senior manager title.
UMC employs approximately 205 people, according to its 2025 annual report. If the reported number of eliminated roles is accurate, the layoffs would represent roughly 6% to 7% of the company’s Canadian workforce. UMC did not verify the number of positions affected.
The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Universal Music Group, is headquartered in Toronto and also maintains offices in Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. The layoffs reportedly reached multiple offices rather than being confined to a single location.
The reductions were reportedly driven by cost-cutting and restructuring considerations, not employee performance.
UMC declined to discuss the cuts, saying it does not comment on employee relations. A company representative nevertheless emphasized the label’s ongoing position in the Canadian market.
“UMC continues to be Canada’s leading music company — proudly signing and supporting Canadian artists and representing UMG’s global roster of talent in the Canadian market,” the representative said.
A Broader Push for Savings
The Canadian job losses arrive against a backdrop of cost-cutting and consolidation across both the domestic and global music industries.
In 2024, Universal Music Group announced what it called a “strategic organizational redesign,” with a target of generating €250 million in savings over two years. UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge said at the time that the plan would produce “reduced headcount” and “efficiencies.”
Dozens of layoffs followed across UMG labels including Interscope, Republic, Capitol, Def Jam and Island.
The latest reductions are the largest at Universal Music Canada since Julie Adam became the company’s president and CEO at the beginning of 2025. Adam succeeded Jeffrey Remedios, who moved to a new position as president of strategic development at REPUBLIC Collective after leading UMC for a decade.
Leadership Change Follows Layoff Announcement
Two days after the Sept. 29 town hall, UMG announced another significant organizational development involving its Canadian business.
On Thursday, Oct. 1, Frank Briegmann was promoted to the newly created role of chairman and CEO of Universal Music Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the German label Deutsche Gramophon.
Under the new structure, Adam will report to Briegmann while remaining president and CEO of Universal Music Canada. The two executives will collaborate as Canada is brought closer to the music group’s wider global operations.
A UMC spokesperson stressed that Briegmann’s appointment and the Canadian job cuts were unrelated, despite the announcements occurring within the same week.
The layoffs therefore mark a notable early workforce change during Adam’s tenure, while UMC simultaneously enters a new international reporting structure. Although the company has affirmed its commitment to Canadian artists and UMG’s global roster, it has not publicly confirmed the final number of employees affected by the restructuring.