NEAR TRUTHS: TANDEM ROWING

Though much biz talk at present is centered on Robert Kyncl’s selection of Elliot Grainge to lead Atlantic, we note that sister WMG label Warner Records’ leadership tandem is having a spectacular year. Aaron Bay-Schuck, Tom Corson and team are firing on all cylinders; the Bunny is third in label market share YTD behind Republic and Interscope. Thanks to Zach Bryan’s multiple smashes and big singles from Benson Boone and Teddy Swims—not to mention the late-breaking reunion of Linkin Park, a global phenomenon—they’ve enjoyed a tremendous 2024 and are set up for 2025 with a roster of impressive young artists.

Corson started first at Warner, since Bay-Schuck, then at Interscope, was contractually obligated to sit on the bench for about a year. Corson, who has had repeated successes at multiple labels, possesses as thorough an understanding of the business as any executive now working. He absorbed the fine points of artist relations and artist development at the feet of Clive Davis during his years in the RCA/Arista/J machine (Santana’s Supernatural, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston’s Greatest Hits, Rod Stewart’s Great American Songbook, Foo Fighters); served a brief stint with Barry Weiss (Kesha, Dave Matthews Band), who made sure he understood what a P3 was; and survived a tour of duty under Donnie Ienner, where he learned how to win at all costs. As co-head of RCA with Peter Edge, starting in 2011, he enjoyed a stellar run that included P!nk, Miley Cyrus’ Bangers, Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience, Kings of Leon and Khalid; he also signed and developed the multiple-Grammy-winning Pentatonix at House Nipper, which was among Sony’s top three acts for nearly a decade. The effective pairing of Edge’s A&R savvy and Corson’s 360-degree know-how and marketing wizardry undoubtedly inspired Max Lousada to emulate that structure at Warner.

Bay-Schuck, for his part, has earned abundant industry cred for his ability to A&R a wide range of artists effectively—a unique talent for which there is no substitute.

The exec has history at WMG, having been an A&R hitter at Atlantic, where he signed superstar Bruno Mars and worked closely with acts like Flo Rida, CeeLo Green and Trey Songz. He’d been at Atlantic during IGA head John Janick’s Fueled by Ramen/Elektra days, and Janick reached out and brought him into Interscope. As president of A&R, ABS was a contributor to that label's success before Lousada, who also knew him from his Atlantic tenure, tapped him as co-chairman/CEO—though he and Corson had to wait until Bay-Schuck’s Interscope term ran out (he started under a four-year deal at IGA in 2014 and accepted the Warner job in 2017, thus his time in the penalty box). In any event, Bay-Schuck wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to run the storied Warner, which he's called “the most relevant label of the past 50 years.” With the signings of Bruno and Zach under his belt, his legacy is already secure.

The decision to renew the Corson and Bay-Schuck deals was made during the transition between news of Steve Cooper’s impending exit as WMG CEO and Kyncl’s arrival. By the time the pair’s first term was up, Lousada had a new boss. But amid this dramatic transition the Englishman remained steadfast in his belief and, assessing his status in the Kyncl era, opted to bet on them again. After they re-upped, they got very hot—and then hotter. Lousada’s wager paid off handsomely.