Warner Music Brazil Announces New Structure to Boost Local Expansion

Warner Music Brazil has introduced a series of measures aimed at boosting its impact across a range of local music genres, the company announced today (Aug. 29). These initiatives demonstrate a strong commitment to widening the company’s presence in the competitive music market.

“As we elevate our regional approach to be closer to our global leadership, expanding our presence in Brazil, the world’s ninth largest music market, is crucial to the company’s growth,” Alejandro Duque, president of Warner Music Latin America, said in a press release. “We’ve always had a strong presence in the country, but we know we need to do more to support its diverse musical genres.”

In an effort to support that vision, Leila Oliveira, president of Warner Music Brazil, has strengthened her leadership team by appointing Tatiana Cantinho as general manager and Mariana Frensel as director of marketing. Both appointees have commenced their roles and will be based at the company’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

“Warner Music Brazil is reinventing the role of the record company in our rapidly changing industry. We need to be more nimble than ever when it comes to connecting artists with fans and building a wave of support for our talent that can be turned into a sustainable career,” Cantinho said. “Music can travel further and faster than ever before and we want to help artists from different backgrounds take their place centre stage.”   

Cantinho brings over two decades of industry experience to her role. Her career includes regional positions at Sony Music and leadership at the independent label Som Livre (since purchased by Sony), before she founded her own music company, Stamina Musical, in 2022.

Meanwhile, Frensel returns to Warner Music Brazil, where she previously served as international label manager from 2011 to 2015. Her latest role comes after an eight-year tenure at Match Group, where she most recently held the position of director of revenue and growth for new verticals.

“I’m super pleased to be returning to Warner Music at this key moment in its development,” Frensel said. “Leila has a vision for how a modern music company should evolve and the importance of artist narratives is at the heart of it. I want to bring my experience to bear as our new genre-focused teams get to work supporting Brazil’s most vibrant talent.” 

“This is a key moment for Warner Music Brazil,” Oliveira said. “The arrival of Tatiana and Mariana strengthens my leadership team and together we’ll rewrite the rules about how the industry operates here. Our new genre-specific teams mean that we’ll be able to superserve artists better than ever and help all types of Brazilian talent connect with fans here and around the world.”

At the same time, Warner Music Brazil is restructuring its A&R and marketing departments to better focus on key Brazilian genres such as sertanejo, forró, samba, funk and urbano music. Marcos Kilzer will continue to lead the A&R team as its director, collaborating closely with Cantinho.

Additionally, the newly-formed Creative Services team, led by Thiago Abreu who reports directly to Oliveira, will support both marketing and A&R departments while being heavily involved with brand partnerships and live music projects.

These adjustments are among several significant initiatives undertaken by Oliveira since she became the first female label head in Brazil in 2022. Just last month, following the establishment of the new Warner Music Space headquarters in Rio’s Barra da Tijuca, Oliveira facilitated an investment with ADA Brazil in Sua Música group, blending efforts to nurture regional talent.

According to the latest IFPI figures, Brazil ranks as the ninth-largest recorded music market globally, valued at $573.6 million and growing at 13.39% last year, with “87.1% of industry revenues coming from streaming channels,” according to a press release.

Warner Music Brazil is home to artists like IZA, Pedro Sampaio, Ferrugem, MC Hariel, MC Ryan SP, Kayblack, MC IG, MC Don Juan, Azzy, Marvvila, Thiago Freitas, US Agroboy, João Bosco & Vinícius and Clayton & Romario.