Widely-respected British music executive Austin Daboh OBE has left his role at Warner Music‘s Atlantic Records UK.
Daboh was Executive Vice President of Atlantic Records UK. Since May 2023, Daboh had also been President of Black Music at the label.
Daboh confirmed his departure from the company in a LinkedIn post this week.
“Turning the page after five and a half incredible years at Atlantic Records / Warner Music,” he wrote. “The time feels right to move into new ventures, carrying the relationships, lessons and success my teams delivered.”
“The time feels right to move into new ventures, carrying the relationships, lessons and success my teams delivered.”
Austin Daboh
He added: “Grateful for the staff and artists who made this chapter powerful and for every studio, stage and boardroom we shared. Onwards and upwards.”
Daboh was hired by Atlantic in the EVP position in June 2020. It was his first role at a major label, following a career largely in radio and music streaming.
Speaking to Music Business Worldwide in July 2020, Daboh said: “I’ve always sat in an agnostic position before, a partner to labels, offering my advice and support [to artists] from that neutral perspective.
“That’s something I want to carry on at Atlantic: I want to build us to a place where everybody wants to see us win, because we’re helping out the entirety of youth culture, rather than just our own roster.”
Daboh started his music industry career in 2006 as Music Programmer at BBC Music 1Xtra, before becoming CEO of the PR, promotion and talent agency The Hub Entertainment in 2011.
He returned to BBC Music 1Xtra in 2014 as Music Manager, leading the musical direction of the station.
In 2016, Austin Daboh joined Spotify as Senior Editor, Shows and Editorial, before being promoted in 2018 to Head of Music Culture & Editorial, Spotify UK. Daboh spent three years at Spotify, where he devised and launched the Who We Be playlist in addition to other standout UK Spotify editorial brands.
Moving to Apple Music in 2019, Daboh assumed the post of Head of Editorial for UK & Ireland, a role in which he was responsible for the platform’s entire UK-based editorial and playlist ecosystem.
The respected artist development specialist led the launch of Apple Music’s Agenda playlist, which ‘represents the authentic voices of the UK and beyond, spanning hip-hop, grime, R&B, Afrobeats and everything in between’. He also headed the launch of an Agenda live show in February, featuring a performance from BRIT and Mercury-winning British rapper, Dave.
After seven months at Apple Music, in 2020 Daboh was appointed Executive Vice President of Atlantic Records UK.
Daboh also joined the WMUK leadership team and was instrumental in the strategic direction of the company both culturally and creatively.
Elsewhere at Warner Music in the UK, Isabel Garvey recently confirmed that she will be leaving her role as Chief Operating Officer of London-based Warner Music UK.
Garvey’s decision to stand down from her role at the end of the year followed the news that Warner’s flagship Atlantic and Warner Records UK labels will be working more closely with their US counterparts, with UK label heads now reporting to US leadership.
Warner Music UK’s other teams, including the shared services that support both labels, will be overseen directly by Simon Robson, President, EMEA, Recorded Music, WMG.
The changes to WMUK’s operations followed the news that Tony Harlow is leaving his role as CEO of Warner Music UK at the end of October.Music Business Worldwide
