As incoming Warner Music Group CEO of recorded music Max Lousada prepares to begin his reign Oct. 1, he's made another big hire: Aaron Bay-Schuck, president of A&R at Interscope Geffen A&M will join Warner Bros. Records in a senior role, according to sources. He'll join RCA president and COO Tom Corson, whose appointment to run the label is expected to be confirmed in the coming days, at WBR.
On Tuesday (Sept. 26), Billboard reported that current WBR chairman/CEO Cameron Strang was in New York City meeting with WMG corporate brass amid months of talks between Lousada and Corson, and that Bay-Schuck was also in negotiations to join the company. While the deal has not yet been finalized, according to a source, an internal memo sent to IGA employees and reviewed by Billboard said Bay-Schuck will remain at Interscope until his contract comes to an end in September 2018, though it's unclear when he will start at Warner Bros. and whether he will stay at Interscope until the end of his deal.
Such a delay could hamstring both WBR and Interscope as they look to sign new artists over the next 12 months. But while signing artists before Bay-Schuck's arrival could be a challenge, label executives are confident that Corson will be successful in the interim with the backing of WBR's existing A&R team and Lousada, who also hails from an A&R background.
Bay-Schuck joined Interscope in 2014 after spending a decade under the WMG umbrella at Atlantic Records, where he rose to senior vp A&R and worked with artists such as Bruno Mars, Flo Rida and B.o.B. At Interscope, he's worked closely with Selena Gomez, whose October 2015 album Revival debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the top 10 hits "Good For You" feat. A$AP Rocky, "Hands To Myself" and "Same Old Love." But Interscope's chairman/CEO John Janick signed Gomez, and manages her A&R, a source tells Billboard.
The current Warner Bros. roster includes Green Day, Lukas Graham, Adam Lambert, The Black Keys, Disturbed, Jason Derulo, Josh Groban, Kid Rock, PartyNextDoor and Andra Day, among others.
What's currently unclear is the fate of Strang, who remains on the board at WMG. Discussions surrounding Strang's future have included the possibility of a new label venture under the WMG umbrella, among other options, sources say.
Additional reporting by Hannah Karp.
