BMG mainstay Maximilian Kolb has been promoted to executive vice president, repertoire & marketing of Continental Europe for the Berlin-based music company, it was announced on Tuesday. The new title officially elevates Kolb from managing director of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GSA) to the head of BMG’s operations across 13 territories in mainland Europe.
Kolb is already on the job and reports to his predecessor in the role, Dominique Casimir, now the company’s repertoire lead for the world outside the U.S. and U.K. BMG’s Continental European operation has offices in Berlin, Hilversum, Paris, Madrid, Milan, and Stockholm.
He will continue to oversee BMG’s publishing and recordings business in GSA while also looking towards cross-border opportunities for signing and developing talent, as well as rights acquisitions and “providing artists with a respectful and reliable home for their music,” he says in a statement.
Kolb joined BMG from Sony in 2012 as an A&R manager and was promoted to director A&R recorded music for GSA five years later. In 2019, he and Kulling were elevated to their now-previous roles at the same time.
While at BMG, Kolb has signed recording and/or publishing clients such as Kontra K, Max Giesinger, Cypress Hill, Lina, KitschKrieg and Trettmann. The company’s recordings roster in mainland Europe also includes Lenny Kravitz, Marianna Faithfull, No Angels and Paul Conte, among others, and publishing clients include Scorpions, Afrojack and BigFlo.
“During this most exciting time, Maximilian and his team have not only brought great artists and writers to BMG, but he has also managed to explore new ideas and business areas in Germany and combine them with our global strategy,” said Kulling. “We believe in the great value of local artists and writers in the European market. With his entrepreneurial spirit and repertoire expertise, Maximilian has everything it takes to continue developing and implementing innovative and internationally relevant strategies with the team in Continental Europe.”
Kolb added, “There could be no better time to take on this new role. Streaming is opening up the market for local repertoire right across Continental Europe, not only boosting domestic successes, but also creating new cross-border opportunities. We want to be a home for all kinds of music right across Europe.”
In its most recent financial report, BMG disclosed that streaming now accounts for 65% of recordings revenue, while vinyl has overtaken CDs to become its leading physical format by value, making up 54% of physical revenue. In the first half of 2021, the Bertelsmann-owned company posted a 5.2% increase in revenue to 296 million euros ($350 million) — largely thanks to a 30% increase in recorded music revenues that offset a flat performance from its publishing business.
