Spotify Exec Mateusz Smółka Moves to Warner Music Eastern Europe

Mateusz Smółka is making a big move—leaving Spotify after eight years to become the Managing Director of Warner Music Eastern Europe. He starts the new gig Monday, September 7th, stepping into a role that was just created for him.

This is the kind of shift that tells you something about how the music industry's evolving. Smółka built real weight at Spotify, one of the platforms that fundamentally changed how we listen to music. Now Warner's betting he can do the same thing for their Eastern European operations—a region that's become increasingly important to the majors as streaming growth and artist development in that part of the world keep climbing.

When execs move from the streaming side to a label's management role, it usually means they understand both worlds. Smółka's gonna have a unique perspective on what artists and listeners actually want, which is something labels can't afford to sleep on anymore. Eastern Europe's been putting out serious talent and developing serious audiences—this hire suggests Warner's ready to invest real resources into that market.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide → https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/mateusz-smolka-named-managing-director-of-warner-music-eastern-europe/