BMG Names Ian Ramage To Head U.S. 'Strike Force' For UK Repertoire

Ian Ramage

In a first for the BRITISH music industry, BMG has appointed veteran music business expert IAN RAMAGE to head a new "strike force" for UK repertoire in the U.S. as VP Repertoire & Marketing UK, reporting to BMG President Repertoire & Marketing UK ALISTAIR NORBURY. 

With staff in LONDON, N.Y., and L.A., the team will address the emerging gap for UK artists in music’s biggest market in the switch to streaming consumption. 

Figures from BPI, the UK music industry trade association, show that while the UK share of U.S. album sales in 2018 was 12.6%, the UK’s share of on-demand streams was just 7.6%, a fact attributed by the BPI to the "popularity of NORTH AMERICAN R&B and hip hop and rap."

The new strike force is endorsed by BERLINE-based BMG CEO HARTWIG MASUCH, who notes that the disparity is a result of record company practices rather than consumer preference. “The problem for UK artists is that U.S.-based companies naturally tend to favor their local repertoire. Our view is that UK artists and songwriters deserve better than that. We need to ensure we maximize their success in the U.S.” 

The new team will focus particularly on performer-songwriters and crucially the strike force roster will include artists across the generations from the '60s until today. 

Commented NORBURY on the appointment, “This is a distinctive service which cuts across the traditional dividing lines of music publishing and recordings, which plays to our strength as the only fully integrated international music company. IAN RAMAGE  is amply qualified to take on this role and we are delighted he has committed to BMG.” 

RAMAGE boasts more than 30 years’ experience in the UK music industry working with artists including THE CURE, ELVIS COSTELLO, PINK FLOYD, KATE BUSH, COLDPLAY, KEANE and RICHARD HAWLEY. 

Beginning as a product manager at POLYDOR, RAMAGE became marketing manager at EAST WEST/WARNER RECORDS before returning to POLYDOR as Head Of Marketing and joining EMI RECORDS as Marketing Director in 1993. In 1996 he switched to music publishing, becoming General Manager at the old BMG MUSIC PUBLISHING, where he stayed for almost a decade until the company was sold to UNIVERSAL. After spending two years as Head of A&R UK & Europe for SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING,, he switched to academia as a lecturer on the music business. 

While completing a dissertation on THE BEATLES, RAMPAGE has worked as a part-time consultant to BMG in the UK.

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