Music publishing and recording company BMG has announced the appointment of Sarah Mitchell as the head of its Rights and Royalties division for Europe and the UK.
Mitchell will oversee the management of rights and royalty management for much of the world outside the US, including the UK, Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, across both music publishing and recordings, BMG said Tuesday (May 7).
In her new role, Mitchell will report directly to BMG Chief Operating Officer Sebastian Hentzschel and will maintain her position within BMG’s senior leadership team in the UK, holding a seat on the BMG UK board.
Mitchell’s journey with BMG began in 2022 when she joined as Senior Vice President of Neighboring Rights. During her tenure, she has negotiated deals with artists such as Coldplay, Christine & The Queens, and Pete Townsend, further expanding BMG’s diverse roster, which includes iconic names like the Rolling Stones, Jonas Blue, and Roger Daltrey.
“Sarah is an excellent operations and client services professional used to leading large teams who has now built a significant reputation over the past decade in the music industry both at BMG and before that, PPL.”
Sebastian Hentzschel, BMG
Prior to her tenure at BMG, Mitchell held the position of Director of Membership & Communications at the UK neighboring rights society PPL, where she managed a substantial client base exceeding 130,000 performers and recording rightsholders. Before joining PPL in 2014, she held senior client service roles at Eurostar and Carphone Warehouse.
Based in London, her responsibilities will cover client onboarding and service, royalty accounting, copyright administration, and analytics, across both publishing and recordings. Additionally, she will continue to oversee neighboring rights.
“Sarah is an excellent operations and client services professional used to leading large teams who has now built a significant reputation over the past decade in the music industry both at BMG and before that, PPL. I am looking forward to her leading our European and UK rights and royalties teams to new heights,” said Hentzschel.
“Over the past two years Sarah Mitchell has proven to be a significant addition to BMG’s London-based leadership with an incredible network in the artist and business communities and an impressive ability to think differently and make things happen.”
Alistair Norbury, BMG
Alistair Norbury, President, Repertoire & Marketing for BMG in the UK, said “Over the past two years Sarah Mitchell has proven to be a significant addition to BMG’s London-based leadership with an incredible network in the artist and business communities and an impressive ability to think differently and make things happen. I am very happy to congratulate her on her promotion and wider remit.”
Mitchell also commented on her new role, saying: “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to take on this new role. Serving songwriters and artists lies at the heart of BMG’s mission and our integrated rights and royalties operation across both music publishing and recordings gives us a unique position in the market. I am excited to be able to work with our teams in the UK and across Europe as we seek to further maximize the benefits of this moving forward.”
“I am excited to be able to work with our teams in the UK and across Europe as we seek to further maximize the benefits of this moving forward.”
Sarah Mitchell, BMG
Mitchell’s appointment follows two recent high-profile resignations at BMG, with Steve Redmond stepping down as EVP of Global Corporate Communications. Redmond, who joined the company 12 years ago, led communications around more than 100 acquisitions. In March, Dominique Casimir stepped down as BMG’s Chief Content Officer after 15 years with the company.
Music Business Worldwide
