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Música mexicana star Xavi has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, the company announced Thursday. The signing follows the release of his sophomore album, “Dosis,” and
the single “La Diabla,” which surpassed 1 billion streams worldwide. Last year, Xavi became the youngest-ever recipient of the ASCAP Latin Music Award for Songwriter of the Year, earning the honor at the age of 21.
“Joining UMPG marks an exciting new chapter for me as a songwriter, and I’m ready to keep taking música mexicana to a global level,” Xavi said.
“Xavi is one of the most exciting and culturally significant young artists in music today. His ability to honor the roots of Música Mexicana while pushing the genre forward with a fresh, global perspective makes him truly exceptional. We are thrilled to welcome Xavi to the UMPG family and look forward to supporting his continued growth as a songwriter and creative force.” said Alexandra Lioutikoff, UMPG’s president of Latin America & U.S. Latin. (Pictured above, L-R: Leslie Zigel, Ana Rosa Santiago, Lioutikoff, Xavi, UMPG CEO Jody Gerson, Fabio Gutierrez, Walter Kolm.)
+ Singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding, who was honored at Variety’s Hitmakers event in 2019, has returned to WME for worldwide representation in all areas.
Goulding, who has won multiple BRIT Awards, holds the U.K. record for the most No.1 albums by a British female artist (tied with Adele), and holds the record for the most U.K. Singles Chart entries for any British female solo artist in history. She also has been a U.N. ambassador since 2017 and WWF ambassador since 2022, she was awarded an MBE in 2025 for services to biodiversity and the climate.
She is set to release her sixth studio album, “I Know Too Much,” on September 4.
+ United Talent Agency has signed Filipino music group SB19 for global representation in all areas. The group is slated to perform at the Summer Sonic and Lollapalooza festivals this summer.
+ Epic Records has signed Papa Jay — aka Thaddeus J. Mixson — known for his roles on the show “Reasonable Doubt” and such films as “Creed 3” and “The Madness.” He is nominated at this year’s BET Awards for the Young Star award and he will be performing at the BET X Experience on Saturday; he will release his debut single with the label, “Work Dat,” on Friday.
+ Brazilian live entertainment company 30e has struck a global deal with veteran American rock band Faith No More that will position the company as the “strategic and operational hub” for the band’s upcoming global tours, spanning from tour conception across five continents to brand development and new fan experiences. Faith No More is represented worldwide by WME, who were instrumental in this deal, according to the announcement.
The deal is rare in that it places a Latin American powerhouse at the helm of global planning for an American rock act. Earlier this year, the 30e announced a long-term strategic agreement with long-running American rock act System of a Down.
Faith No More commented: “30e feels like a company that wants to dent into the status quo, and as artists we understand the value of that. Their approach doesn’t feel like the usual machinery; it feels like it’s coming from a different place, with a different kind of energy, and we are willing to get behind that.”
“Faith No More has always been synonymous with disruption. They shaped entire generations precisely because they refused to play by the market’s obvious rules, and it is that same audacious spirit that drives 30e,” highlights Pepeu Correa, CEO of 30e. “This agreement aims to jointly build a platform for global experiences that respects the band’s transgressive DNA and presents our vision of entertainment to the world,” he adds.
+ Paula Moore, CEO of Greater Music Group, has announced a “comprehensive business transformation initiative” for veteran electronic artist-producer Bassnectar, incorporating catalog, merchandise, audience engagement, licensing, and direct-to-fan operations. According to the announcement, Moore has restructured the artist’s (real name: Lorin Ashton) business “from a predominantly tour merchandise-driven model into a broader apparel, content, and direct-to-consumer leader.”
Ashton said, “Paula has significantly changed my life twice. First, when she signed my first album (Mesmerizing The Ultra) to Universal in 2005, and then again last fall when she signed my entire art project to Greater Music Group. Since day one, music has always been my artistic vehicle to amplify creativity, connection, community, collaboration, and maximum amplification of human emotion. The Bassnectar Project is my way of reflecting what I love most about life, to make the biggest positive impact on the world around me.”
+ Songwriter Nick Boyd has signed a publishing deal with ERN’s Cadillac Music and Jordan Schmidt (Ella Langley, Kane Brown) via Big Loud Publishing. His recent cuts include “Drinks Can Drink” and “TV On” by Cody Lohden, Atlus’ “Spare Key,” “California Fit In Tennessee” by Tayler Holder and Brody Clementi’s “Act Like You Don’t.”
“I started hearing Nick’s songs about a year or so ago,” adds ERN’s Cadillac Music founder and CEO Ernest, a top songwriter-artist himself. “He has been writing great ones with my guy Cody Lohden and just became a name we’d see time and time again right by an outstanding song. When Jordan Schmidt called me and asked if he wanted to do this together, it made perfect sense to me.”
+ SoundExchange has named veteran entertainment industry lawyer Michele Page as general counsel. In this role, Page will oversee the comprehensive legal functions of the organization, including regulatory issues, enforcement programs, rate proceedings, corporate governance, and compliance. Page will also serve as the chief legal advisor and joins the SoundExchange executive team, reporting to president-CEO Michael Huppe.
Page was most recently VP of legal at Peloton Interactive, and also served as general counsel of media at Nielsen, as well as roles with Vevo, EMI Music Publishing, Sony Music Entertainment, and the law firm Pryor Cashman LLP.
“Michele brings deep legal expertise, sound judgment, strategic acumen, and a strong understanding of the evolving music and technology landscape,” said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. “As SoundExchange continues to grow and innovate in service of creators and our worldwide partners, Michele’s leadership will be an invaluable asset for our team. We’re thrilled to welcome her into this role.”
+ Prescription Songs has signed Nashville-based producer and songwriter Andrew Baylis. Baylis joins the company through Prescription Songs’ A&Rs Christian Conant and Sophia Battaglia. His credits include the RIAA Gold-certified singles “Dead Man Walking” by Jelly Roll, “Creeps” by Koe Wetzel and “Son of the Dirty South” by Brantley Gilbert featuring Jelly Roll, as well as other tracks by Jelly Roll, the Rose, Austin Snell, Ole 60 and Atlus.
Conant said, “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Baylis for a few years now, and getting to see what he’s accomplished in a short time since moving to town has been remarkable. He’s a great friend and a brilliant songwriter/producer.” Battaglia added, “I’m continually inspired by his creative approach and a genuine fan of everything he does. I’m thrilled to welcome him to the RX Songs family!”
+ Electric Feel Management has signed producer Nico Baran, who has worked with Drake, Bad Bunny, Ice Spice, the Kid LaRoi, Lil Tecca and others.
“Electric Feel always felt like family. I’m excited for what we build together and can’t wait to spend these next years making the best music possible with them” said Baran.
+ Swsh, a fan engagement platform for live experiences, has announced the close of its $4 million Seed round. The round was led by Game Changers Ventures, with participation from Stellation Capital, SignalFire, and MaC Venture Capital, alongside notable angel investors across entertainment and technology including Scooter Braun, Guy Oseary, Julie Greenwald, Cory Levy, Hans Tung, Chris Detert, Shachar Scott, and Austin Rief.
According to the announcement, the platform is an “AI-native, fan-first product, [turning] organic audience behavior into structured content, participation insight, and stronger communities of superfans.
“Today, brands, artists, teams, and agencies rely heavily on live experiences to generate some of the most powerful audience engagement in culture, yet they often leave events without structured insight into who participated or what resonated,” said Alexandra Debow, Swsh co-founder and CEO. “Fans are already documenting everything that happens at concerts, games, and brand activations. Swsh turns those moments into measurable data, while strengthening the communities of superfans around the experiences they care about most.”
+ International Festival Forum has announced the first wave of conference programming for the inaugural edition of IFF LA, taking place September 14-16, 2026 at the London West Hollywood.
Produced by International Live Music Conference (ILMC) in partnership with We Group, IFF LA will bring together festival organizers, talent buyers, booking agents and live entertainment executives for three days of networking, conference sessions and pre-arranged one-to-one meetings designed to streamline the festival booking process.
Greg Parmley, Managing Director of ILMC, said: “We started IFF more than a decade ago with a simple goal: to create a space where festival organizers and booking agencies could connect and do business more effectively. IFF has since grown into one of the most important annual gatherings for the industry, and we’re proud to be bringing that model to North America with IFF LA. Our first wave of programming reflects key conversations taking place across the festival business today, and we’re excited to bring these discussions to Los Angeles to shape impactful festival lineups.”
Confirmed sessions include:
● The Festival Season 2026 – an opening industry debate examining key lessons and market trends emerging from this year’s festival landscape.
● Talent Buying in the Influencer Era – exploring how social platforms are reshaping artist discovery, audience behavior and booking strategies.
● International Touring & U.S. Work Visas in 2026 – a practical discussion on the operational realities facing international artists and festival organizers.
● Festival Booking Strategies 2027-2030 – examining the long-term trends expected to influence programming decisions over the coming years.
● Beyond the Festival: The Evolution of Live Experiences – exploring how organizers are expanding beyond traditional festival formats to create new revenue streams and audience experiences.
● The Audience Equation: Community, Culture & the Cost of Connection – addressing fan engagement, accessibility and community-building in a competitive live events market.
● Modern Insurance & Risk Management for Festivals – providing practical insights into event protection, operational resilience and evolving risk considerations.
