Universal Promotes A&R Exec To Push Domestic Exports

The Universal Music Group are looking to capitalise on the international success of artists such as Lorde and Havana Brown with the promotion of Michael Taylor to Executive Vice President A&R Universal Music & Island Records Australasia.

Taylor joined Universal to establish Island as a standalone label in Australia in 2007 and will continue to head that label while overseeing the development of other labels under the Universal umbrella, specifically with a view to signing domestic artists on worldwide deals.

“I can start to help out the labels is getting their stuff released in other territories, help export the music,” Taylor told theMusic.com.au today.

In the past two years there has been a shift towards acts from Australia and New Zealand being signed for the world, the most successful examples being pop DJ Havana Brown and teenage New Zealand songstress Lorde.

Recently Andy Bull signed a US deal with Republic in the US and fellow Sydneysiders The Preatures are currently fielding offers from the US and UK.

Taylor said that international marketability is a factor often considered when signing domestic artists and that they weren't opposed to exploiting emerging regions, such as Asia. “[We'll put them] wherever we think artists' music can be enjoyed and purchased or streamed,” he said.

The “holistic approach to domestic artists” will extend to the recently-acquired EMI, who Taylor said “have their own culture and it's important that they keep that.” He added that he world provide assistance to the likes of EMI's John O'Donnell and Scott Horscroft if required.