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BILLBOARD CANADA FYI
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Record Labels
Warner Music Canada Lays Off at Least 24 People Amidst Global Restructuring
The major record label has eliminated positions across the company, including marketing, A&R, catalogue and more. The cuts follow the departure of president Kristen Burke and reportedly came on the same day as the announcement of Julia Hummel and Madelaine Napoleone as co-general managers.
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Warner Music Canada has laid off at least 24 people, Billboard Canada has learned. The cuts come amidst global restructuring and layoffs at Warner Music Group.
According to multiple former staffers, the layoffs came on Nov. 18, the same day Julia Hummel and Madelaine Napoleone were announced as new Warner Music Canada co-general managers.
A companywide email reportedly went out on Nov. 17 informing the staff that the office would be closed the following day and that they should make themselves available for meeting invitations from human resources. Many staffers were informed during those video meetings that their position had been eliminated.
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The layoffs reportedly affected departments companywide, including positions in business, catalogue, design and video production, publicity, sales and more, including significant reductions in A&R and marketing. They also included executive vice president and general manager Andy West, as previously reported by Billboard Canada.
According to a 2024 annual report by Warner Music Canada, there were previously approximately 200 employees working in Canada, which would mean the layoffs represent at least 12% of the workforce.
In a statement to Billboard Canada, Warner Music did not confirm the number of layoffs or budget or resource details for Canadian operations, but affirmed their commitment to investing in Canadian artists and staff.
“Canada is rich with musical talent,” a Warner Music spokesperson says. “We remain committed to growing our presence here. These changes will help us focus on the most extraordinary local artists and help them have a greater global impact.”
The company’s roster includes developing Canadian talent including Ari Hicks, Crash Adams, Jade LeMac, Diamond Cafe. The spokesperson declined to answer whether or how their deals would be affected by the company changes.
The layoffs follow a tumultuous period for Warner Music Canada. In September, former president Kristen Burke departed the company, with New York City-based president of East West Records and head of global A&R at Warner Music Group Eric Wong stepping in to lead business in Canada. In an email to staff, Burke wrote that the appointment would mean Warner Music Canada would “now be connected more directly to the U.S. team.”
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She also praised his strong understanding of the Canadian market and meaningful relationships with Canadian artists including LeMac and Karan Aujla, who is signed to Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India.
"Change is never easy, but it is often part of growth,” she wrote.
Burke’s departure followed a Warner Music Group global restructuring and a series of layoffs across territories.
In July, Billboard obtained a memo to staff from Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl that outlined a plan to cut $300 million in annual costs. That included a plan to cut $170 million through job cuts and consolidation – or “headcount rightsizing for agility and impact.”
The company soon laid off multiple people in Nashville, Asia Pacific and the U.K., as well as Warner Records. Cat Kreidich also departed her role as president of ADA Worldwide, Warner Music Group’s independent distribution division.
In Canada, Hummel and Napoleone remain on-the-ground leaders while Wong travels between Canada and the U.S.
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Warner is one of three major record labels in Canada, including Universal Music Canada and Sony Music Canada. The cuts are part of a trend of cost-cutting and consolidation throughout the global music industry. In 2024, Universal Music Group announced a “strategic organizational redesign,” including job cuts, to generate €250 million in savings by 2026.
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