Stem, which has paid out $180m in royalties as of 2021, bolsters Artist & Label Strategy Team – Music Business Worldwide

Los Angeles-based distribution and payments platform Stem is expanding its Artist & Label Strategy Team with a number of senior promotions and hires.

In addition, Stem has provided an update on what it has paid out in royalties since it was launched in 2015.

The company reports to have distributed $180 million to 40,000 people as of 2021.

Seth Faber, who joined Stem in 2020 as Head of East Coast, has been promoted to VP of Artist & Label Strategy.

Faber is now responsible for overseeing the entirety of the Artist and Label experience, says Stem, which includes overseeing the expansion of its artist development services, which allows artists to leverage the company’s internal expertise and network of artist marketing resources.

During his time at Stem, Faber has signed and developed artists including Foster The People, 3LAU, Morgxn, Rachel Platten, slchld, and DRAMA.

Meanwhile, Vivian Yohannes joins the company as Director of Artist & Label Strategy, Hip Hop and R&B, and Kylie Everitt has been promoted to Artist & Label Strategy Manager.

Additionally, Natalie Sellers leads Stem’s editorial and playlisting as Manager, Artist & Label Commerce and Partnerships.

Yohannes joins Stem with over 10 years experience, beginning her career at Motown Records where she worked with artists such as Ne-Yo, Lil Yachty, Migos, Rich Homie Quan, Kevin Ross and BJ The Chicago Kid.

Yohannes then moved over to Epic Records, where as an A&R Manager she worked across all soundtrack releases, and later joined indie label hardpink records, serving as General Manager.

At Stem, Yohannes will leverage a network of strategic and creative resources to generate opportunities for Stem artists.

Everitt, meanwhile, joined Stem in 2018, and has worked closely with artists such as Brent Faiyaz, Dua Saleh, Noname, dhruv, and Saba.

Everitt will now be responsible for conceiving and driving effective marketing campaigns for Stem’s growing roster.

Key to Stem’s artist offering, says the company, is its data driven approach to playlist and editorial pitching, which is led by Sellers.

Sellers, formerly Stem’s Artist & Label Strategy Lead, joined the company in 2018, and has contributed toward releases for Julia Wolf, Justine Skye, SHY Martin, Leyla Blue and Wiz Khalifa.

“we are committed to artist-centric thinking.”

Kristin Graziani

Kristin Graziani, President of Distribution at Stem, said: “As we continue to grow our distribution offering, we are committed to artist-centric thinking.

“Intelligently investing in Artist & Label services continues to be vital to our success. I’m excited to have Seth at the helm as we surround our artists with the strategic guidance and resources they need to grow their fanbase.”

“When it comes to developing artists at Stem, we don’t believe in a one size fits all approach.”

Seth Faber

Seth Faber, added: “When it comes to developing artists at Stem, we don’t believe in a one size fits all approach.

“I’m excited to continue to build an imaginative and malleable team that embraces each artist’s unique point-of-view and strategic needs, and am grateful to Kristin and Milana for the opportunity to bring our collective vision to life.”

“Vivian’s presence immediately underscores our credibility in music’s most consumed genres; I’m truly excited to have her join.

“I’m particularly proud to have Kylie filling a key seat on our strategy team; her energy, creativity, and passion for independent artists is unmatched.

“Lastly, we’re fortunate to have Natalie at the helm of our editorial efforts; she is an incredible thought partner & strategic artist evangelist.”

Stem is led by CEO Milana Rabkin Lewis, who spent five years as a Digital Media Agent at United Talent Agency (UTA) before co-founding the company in 2015.

In June 2020, the company ‘quit DIY distribution’ as it pivoted away from letting any DIY artist distribute their music through its platform.

Stem then cut ties with tens of thousands of DIY artists whose music it previously distributed, migrating them over to its former rival in the space, TuneCore.

The company then launched ‘Stem Direct’ exclusively for its top-performing acts (and future signings) as a VIP offering, which the firm described as “a concierge member service to support our top talent”.

More recently, in August 2020, the company secured $10m in financing. Stem’s previous backers have reportedly included the likes of Scooter Braun, Mark Cuban, Vayner Capital, Upfront Ventures, Aspect Ventures, Dina LaPolt and Savan Kotecha.Music Business Worldwide