NIR HEADS TO INTERSCOPE
It’s official: Nir Seroussi will join Interscope Geffen A&M as Executive Vice President where he will sign and develop talent while also working across the entire roster to strengthen artists’ global reach.
Most recently President of Sony Music U.S. Latin, he will be based in Miami and report to Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman and CEO John Janick. He will run Interscope’s soon-to-be-opened Miami office.
“Nir’s vision and taste align completely with Interscope,” said Janick. “When (Interscope EVP) Joie Manda and I first met with him about joining the company, we all immediately realized it was a perfect fit; he doesn’t look at A&R in a ‘traditional’ manner, and Interscope has always been anything but ‘traditional.’ He has an incredible track record, as his most recent successes show, and he also has a keen understanding of the Latin, the U.S., and the global music markets. But most importantly, he understands that the lines between these markets are being erased.”
Seroussi got his start working in music publishing at Insignia Music in 1998, upon graduating from Berklee College of Music. After rising to General Manager, he left the company in 2000 to pursue a career as a songwriter. He reentered the business side as VP of Marketing and A&R at EMI Latin in 2002. In 2004 he began a 15-year tenure at Sony Music U.S. Latin, where he held various senior posts culminating in being elevated to President in 2014.
Commented Seroussi: “I’ve always looked at Interscope as a company that’s not afraid to break down boundaries and challenge ‘genre boxes’ when it comes to the artists they sign and the music they release. The current culture is a global one, and in talking to John, Joie and Steve Berman about what we could all accomplish together it made so much sense to me. I’m really excited to help expand Interscope’s already formidable reach both in the U.S. and around the world. It’s happening, it’s happening big, and it’s starting with the right people.”
The 43-year-old Seroussi has definite A&R cred, having inked Gente de Zona, Nicky Jam, Joan Sebastian, Prince Royce and others, as well as hooking up deals for Enrique Iglesias and Gloria Estefan. He’s also said to have played a substantial role in the expansion of brand partnerships and multimedia deals. He began at EMI before spending some 15 years in the Sony machine, helping to pilot the company to the #1 spot during his tenure before stepping down in January.
Prior to the digital boom, physical retail had dried up all over Mexico and Central and South America, leading to countless office closings throughout the region. But the ubiquity of smart phones in today’s marketplace has made monetizing music in these countries significantly simpler.
Latin music has been exploding during the streaming revolution, with more than 68 billion streams in 2018 and paid subs up by 70% over the preceding year. Latin leads in video views and has nearly tripled in audio streams in three years. Look for other mainstream labels to try to capture a piece of this market, which the Latin divisions at the majors previously had locked up—and thrown away the key.
