Warner Music Group is bringing its recorded-music and publishing sync operations into one global division, with Ron Broitman promoted to President of Global Sync to lead the newly unified business.
Based in Los Angeles, Broitman will report to recently appointed WMG Chief Operating Officer Tom Corson. Guy Moot, Chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music, will provide additional oversight.
The restructuring places sync teams from across Warner Chappell, Atlantic Music Group, Warner Records Group and ADA distribution under Broitman’s leadership. His worldwide remit will include creative pitching and marketing, new business development, licensing clearance, administration and data analytics for WMG’s global sync rights.
WMG said the new setup will give clients one point of entry to its recorded-music and music-publishing catalogs. The company expects streamlined clearances to produce faster turnaround times, while global coordination is intended to extend pitching opportunities across its roster.
A Broader Role for Broitman
Broitman’s promotion builds on his work across both sides of WMG’s music business. He previously served as the company’s EVP and Head of Sync for its publishing and recorded-music divisions, overseeing a joint sync operation in the United States.
Most recently, he was EVP of Global Sync for WMG’s recorded-music business. Placements under that operation ranged from the Super Bowl to the finale of “Stranger Things.” Broitman also recently secured the use of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” in the trailer for Greta Gerwig’s forthcoming film “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.”
Before joining WMG, Broitman was SVP of Film, TV & Advertising at Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Earlier, at BMG Music Publishing, he merged and oversaw a joint sync business spanning the BMG and Zomba Music Publishing catalogs and BMG’s recorded-music labels.
That background gives Broitman direct experience with the kind of combined publishing-and-recorded-music operation WMG is now establishing on a worldwide basis.
WMG Leaders Outline the Strategy
Corson described Broitman as a central figure in WMG’s sync operation, citing his leadership, industry network and expertise. He said the reorganization creates “one creative strategy, one commercial business conversation, one clearance and one admin path” for WMG’s sync rights around the world.
According to Corson, the intended results include a faster route to market, a simpler experience for clients and more opportunities for WMG’s artists, songwriters and the wider creative community.
Moot framed the combination of Warner Chappell’s publishing operation and WMG’s recorded business as a growth initiative designed to generate additional value for songwriters.
He also stressed that Warner Chappell’s team will remain embedded within the sync business. That structure, Moot said, is intended to ensure writers continue receiving dedicated attention and creative pitching even as the broader operation becomes more centralized.
ShowBiz Take
The significance of WMG’s move lies in the scope of the consolidation. This is not simply a new title for Broitman: the company is organizing multiple teams and functions around a unified global process covering both recordings and publishing rights.
For clients, WMG is promising fewer separate pathways when seeking access to its catalog, along with more efficient clearances. Internally, the company is pairing creative pitching with licensing, administration, business development and data analytics in one coordinated division.
The move also expands a model Broitman already knows. After overseeing a joint publishing and recorded-music sync operation in the U.S., he now takes responsibility for teams around the world. At the same time, Warner Chappell’s continued presence inside the operation signals that the company does not intend centralization to reduce the focus on individual songwriters.
What Happens Next?
Broitman will now direct WMG’s global sync teams across Warner Chappell, Atlantic Music Group, Warner Records Group and ADA distribution. The combined division’s task will be to turn the promised single-entry system into a coordinated worldwide operation, accelerating clearances and broadening the reach of pitches involving WMG’s artists, songwriters and catalogs.