Warner Chappell Music has promoted to executives—Natalie Madaj and Daniel Lang—to oversee the publisher’s commercial digital initiatives around the globe,

Madaj has been upped to Senior Vice President, Digital Licensing, Americas, and Lang is now VP, Digital Licensing, EMEIA. Both continue to report to Eric Mackay, EVP, Global Digital Strategy.

“Natalie and Daniel have been instrumental in strengthening our relationships with digital service providers and helping to ensure that our songwriters get paid fairly and quickly,” Mackay said. “Having hired them both, it's been incredibly rewarding to see how much they’ve grown over the years, and I’m excited to have them continue to take on more responsibility.”

Madaj, who joined Warner Chappell in 2018 as VP, Digital Licensing, North America, has helped lead digital licensing negotiations and forge partnerships with Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Spotify and others. She’s also played a key role in supporting Warner Chappell’s regional affiliates in Canada and Latin America.

Lang joined in 2017 as Digital Account Executive, before being promoted to Head of Digital Licensing, EMEIA in 2018. He has expanded the scope of the publisher’s multi-territory licensing strategy and strengthened relationships with key partners such as Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, Deezer and Facebook.

Sony/ATV has upped Audrey J. Ashby to SVP, Business Affairs and Catalog. Based in the company’s N.Y. office, Ashby reports to EVP, Business Affairs and General Counsel, Peter Brodsky.

As SVP, Ashby manages the relationships with Sony/ATV legacy songwriters and catalogues like Valerie Simpson, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Pete Moore, Marvin Gaye, Ron Miller and Sandy Linzer, among others.

Her responsibilities include fostering and maintaining relationships, extending existing agreements and negotiating new contracts.

“I am so happy to congratulate Audrey on this well-deserved promotion. With her decades of experience and deep relationships with some of our most important legacy songwriters and catalogues, Audrey is truly an irreplaceable member of our team,” shared Brodsky.

“The music business is an amazing field, and every day brings new opportunities. I want to thank Sony for this opportunity, and I look forward to earning continued success with Jon, Peter, and our incredible songwriters,” added Ashby.

With over 3 decades of experience, Ashby first started at CBS Songs, which later became SBK and then EMI. She became VP, Copyright Administration and Research in 2002 before leading the copyright department. While still at EMI, Ashby moved to business affairs then joined Sony/ATV’s business affairs team when EMI was acquired by the company.

23-year-old singer/songwriter Peytan Porter has inked her first publishing deal with Jody Williams Songs, in partnership with Warner Chappell Music.

The Dawsonville, Ga. native moved to Nashville in 2016 to attend Lipscomb University, where she sought out collaborators and co-writers outside the organized writing rooms of Music Row. Alongside her fellow up-and-coming writers, Porter honed her own style, leading her to JWS. 

“The first time she performed for us in the office I was moved to tears, asking her to repeat a second verse just to take in it a bit longer. It’s exciting to have this opportunity to help someone with her natural talent realize her goals as a songwriter and artist,” said JWS Founder, Jody Williams.

“Peytan has an infectious spirit that undoubtedly translates into her songwriting. We are fortunate to get to work with someone who has such a defined sense of self,” added Nina Jenkins, JWS Creative Director.

“The opportunity to now work with Jody Williams Songs and the Warner Chappell family feels like a long-awaited exhale,” shared Porter. “I knew from our first conversations that Jody and Nina are truly song-first people, and I feel fortunate to get to create in a space that advocates for excellent songwriting as it’s not just what I do, it’s who I am.”

JWS is home to the likes of four-time Grammy nominee Ashley McBryde, Driver Williams, Nathan Chapman, Jeremy Spillman, Greg Bates and Jason Nix, as well as Pat McLaughlin in a writer management/publishing role.

Seen just before tapping a keg to celebrate are (L-R) WCM Nashville A&R Director Spencer Nohe, Jenkins, Porter, Williams and WCM Nashville President/CEO Ben Vaughn,