As has long been expected, Universal Music Group is being hit with extensive layoffs across its U.S. and U.K. operations, with multiple top executives departing, among many others.
The moves — which sources say continue a process that was announced back in January of 2024 as continuing through this year — are expected to take place across Wednesday and Thursday this week. They were preceded by around 200 layoffs at the company’s Canadian operation late last month, and 27-year UMG veteran Rebecca Allen’s announcement on Tuesday that she is stepping down as Chief Artist and Strategy Officer, a post to which she was only promoted in December.
Sources tell Variety that Def Jam Records Chairman-CEO Tunji Balogun, Interscope Records execs Sam Riback and Nicole Wyskoarko will all be leaving their posts, among many others, although Balogun will remain through the end of the year and assist with the transition. Republic Records Chairman and Co-CEO Jim Roppo is said to be leaving to join Warner Records in a capacity that will fill the void left when COO Tom Corson was elevated to COO of parent company Warner Music Group, although neither company has confirmed that move.
At Republic, Jeffrey Remedios, President & CEO of Republic Collective, and Tyler Arnold, Chairman & CEO of Mercury Records, will take on new leadership roles at Republic Records, with details to be announced later; Island Records co-CEOs Imran Majid and Justin Eshak will take on greater roles at UMG’s East Coast labels.
At Interscope-Geffen-A&M, label president Michelle An, EVP of Urban Marketing Laura Carter and EVP of Digital Marketing Ramon Alvarez-Smikle will take on broader leadership roles at the label, which will be will announced in the coming weeks.
More details are expected to become clear in the coming days.
Along with Allen’s departure, in the U.K. Ben Mortimer is stepping down as President of Polydor Label Group, with Jodie Cammidge acting as interim chief of the label, and Nickie Owen is taking on an expanded role as President of Global Marketing. Hannah Neaves, president of UMRecordings U.K., will move to a consultancy role, with Sarah Boorman taking on a new leadership position. In Ireland, Mark Crossingham is stepping down as Managing Director will be succeeded by Nick Younger.
The layoffs continue a trend that has been taking place across all three major music companies over the past several years, more commonly in a series of increments rather than single, large-scale reductions; however, this UMG move is a major one.
Warner Music in particular has eliminated a large percentage of its staff, but Sony has laid off a number of staffers in recent years as well.
“Our consistent success has been built on our ability to anticipate industry changes, act early to better serve all our artists and songwriters, and capture opportunities in music’s fastest-growing areas. Our industry-leading investment in artist development has always guided that work and will continue to do so. We’re bringing in new skills and technology and connecting expertise across our teams to deliver greater global impact and greater efficiency. Where we have made the difficult decision to remove certain roles, we are deeply grateful for the contributions of the people leaving us,” a UMG spokesperson said.
While UMG’s balance sheet was solid for the first half of 2026, with revenue growing to nearly $7.2 billion, up 5.3% from the prior year’s first half, it has been impacted by costs related to consolidating its $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music and other factors.
But more broadly, the industry is deep within another period of transition as the streaming boom that began in the mid 2010s and was extended by the pandemic has long since leveled off, and audience attention moves from more-traditional outlets like terrestrial radio to social media and other digital areas.
Source: variety.com
