Downtown Music Services makes raft of US senior promotions – Music Business Worldwide

Distribution, publishing, creative marketing and finance company Downtown Music Services (DMS) has made a raft of senior executive promotions within its US marketing, A&R and operations divisions.

DMS was launched in April as a subsidiary of Downtown Music Holdings, following a shift to focus exclusively on music services after Concord acquired the New York-based firm’s entire owned music rights catalog for $400 million.

Kasey Fries has been promoted to the role of Vice President of Operations, where she’ll oversee distribution operations for DMS.

Her team provides tools to the DMS roster of independent artists and labels, and interfaces directly with DSPs to support each release.

Geoff Halliday has been promoted to the role of Vice President of Marketing, where he’ll oversee the marketing of the company’s clients across the sound recording distribution roster.

In this new role, Halliday will engage with DSPs to drive discovery of independent artists, some of which have recently included DMS clients like mehro, Fancy Hagood, Zach Hood, and Dixie D’Amelio.

Bryan Mooney has been promoted to the role of Vice President of A&R (Pop/Alternative), where he’ll oversee the global signing and development of pop/alternative artists and labels to the DMS sound recording distribution roster.

The roster currently includes artists such as Cheat Codes, Hunter Hayes, Matoma, Mick Management’s Mick Music, RAC and others.

Finally, Ray Tapia has been named Vice President of A&R (Latin).

He will spearhead DMS’s expansion into Latin and Regional Mexican, building out a roster that currently includes Aldo Trujillo and Polo Gonzalez (GodKing Records), Deluxe Music Group, Grupo Recluta (Boba Records), Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Rap Trap/Alzada, and Santa Fe Klan.

“I couldn’t be more excited to continue to work alongside them and the great artists they support at DMS.”

Ben Patterson, Downtown Music Services

Ben Patterson, Chief Operating Officer of Downtown Music Services, said: “Kasey, Geoff, Bryan and Ray are among the most talented, creative and artist-friendly executives in the music industry today.

“The formal elevation to Vice Presidents cements the role they’ve played at DMS for some time; leaders in the day to day operations, marketing, and A&R of the global Downtown Music Services master recording distribution team.

“I couldn’t be more excited to continue to work alongside them and the great artists they support at DMS.”

In August, Downtown founder Justin Kalifowitz vacated his role as CEO to take on a new role as Downtown Music Holdings Executive Chairman.

Kalifowitz was succeeded as CEO by DMH’s former COO, Andrew Bergman.

Last month, Downtown Music Holdings made its first additional leadership changes under Bergman as the firm’s new CEO, including Andrew Sparkler’s appointment as Chief Business Officer (CBO), Brad Yuan’s promotion to Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Loredana Cacciotti ‘s appointment as Senior Vice President, Digital Licensing & Business Affairs.Music Business Worldwide