Hartwig Masuch
{{short description|German music executive (born 1954)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Hartwig Masuch
|image = Hartwig_Masuch.jpg
|caption = Hartwig Masuch
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|07|20}}
|nationality = German
|alma_mater = Ruhr University Bochum
}}
Hartwig Masuch (born July 20, 1954){{cite web |language=de |url=https://www.hagen.de/web/de/hagen_de/02/0205/020502/020502-09.html |publisher=Stadt Hagen |title=Hartwig Masuch – Weltstars unter Vertrag |access-date=June 6, 2019}} is a German music executive.{{cite web |url=http://www.mediabiz.de/firmen/people/hartwig-masuch/3244/8646 |title=Hartwig Masuch |website=Mediabiz |access-date=June 6, 2019 |archive-date=June 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612023519/http://www.mediabiz.de/firmen/people/hartwig-masuch/3244/8646 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/kultur/plus165285987/Popmusik-ist-weniger-reibungsfreudig-geworden.html|title=Popmusik ist weniger reibungsfreudig geworden|last=Meier|first=Christian|date=June 6, 2017|work=Die Welt|access-date=June 25, 2019|language=de}} Since 2008, he has been chief executive officer of BMG Rights Management, a Bertelsmann group division.{{cite web |language=de |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/bmg-chef-hartwig-masuch-vom-taxifahrer-zu-musikmanager-1.2905053 |website=Süddeutsche Zeitung |title=Vom Taxifahrer zu Musikmanager |date=March 14, 2016 |access-date=June 6, 2019 |author=Caspar Busse}} Under his leadership, BMG became a leading international music company.{{cite web |language=de |url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/management/bmg-chef-hartwig-masuch-die-gitarre-immer-griffbereit/19611270.html |author=Catrin Bialek |website=Handelsblatt |title=Die Gitarre immer griffbereit |date=April 4, 2017 |access-date=June 6, 2019}} According to Billboard, he is among the most influential representatives of the industry in the world.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8496791/no-31-hartwig-masuch-power-100|title=2019 Power 100 List|date=February 7, 2019|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 25, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/how-to-revolutionise-the-music-business-rip-it-up-and-start-again/|title=How to Revolutionise the Music Business: Rip It up and Start Again|last=Ingham|first=Tim|date=May 28, 2015|website=Music Business Worldwide|access-date=June 25, 2019}} Masuch was himself a musician and producer and is considered a pioneer of the Neue Deutsche Welle.
Early life
After graduating high school, Masuch began studying economics at the Ruhr University Bochum in 1974.{{cite web |url=https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/alumni/gespraech/interviews/masuch.html |language=de |title=Hartwig Masuch im Gespräch |publisher=Ruhr-Universität Bochum |access-date=June 6, 2019}} At the same time, he worked for the chair of money theory, and was the frontman of the Ramblers, a punk and new wave band. To finance his livelihood, he worked as a taxi driver at times.{{cite news |language=de |author=Henrik Mortsiefer |title=Taxifahren mit Nena |newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel |date=August 9, 2010 |page=15}} At the age of 20, Masuch signed his first recording contract.{{cite news |language=de |title=Alleskönner waren mir schon immer verdächtig |newspaper=Berliner Zeitung |date=February 11, 2016}} In 1980, he finished his studies without graduation to concentrate on his career as a musician.{{cite news |language=de |title=Das Spiel hat sich geändert |newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel |date=July 26, 2010 |page=14 |author=Henrik Mortsiefer}}
Masuch founded an independent music publishing house, was the first to sign with Nena, and produced the debut album of Extrabreit. Since then, he has been regarded as a pioneer of Neue Deutsche Welle.{{cite news |language=de |author=Henrik Mortsiefer |title=Wir wollen die Guten sein |newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel |date=October 15, 2018 |page=14}} He also established his own music label and was responsible for hits by Ina Deter and others before selling it in 1984.{{cite web |url=https://www.wp.de/staedte/hagen/ich-sehe-keine-stadt-in-den-fussstapfen-von-hagen-id215427445.html |website=Westfalenpost |title=Ich sehe keine Stadt in den Fußstapfen von Hagen. |language=de |author=Michael Koch |date=September 27, 2018 |access-date=October 20, 2019}}
Career
In 1985 Masuch joined Warner Music Publishing as general manager of repertoire. After two years he was promoted to the position of general manager and vice president of creative affairs.{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=61639580&privcapId=519888 |publisher=Bloomberg |title=Hartwig Masuch |access-date=June 6, 2019}} During this time he signed nationally and internationally successful bands. In 1991, Masuch joined BMG Music Publishing, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann, as managing director and senior vice president.{{cite web|url=https://www.new-business.de/medien/detail.php?nr=637018|title=Bertelsmann erweitert Group Management Committee|author=Margit Mair|date=June 3, 2013|website=New-Business|language=de|access-date=June 6, 2019}} There he was mainly responsible for business in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Masuch left the company in 2007 to sell BMG Music Publishing to Universal Music, where he advised Bertelsmann on the separation from Sony BMG and the reorganization of activities in the music industry.{{cite news |language=de |author=Arndt Ohler |title=Bertelsmann prescht mit Plan für Musikverlag vor |newspaper=Financial Times Deutschland |date=September 28, 2007 |page=3}}
Masuch coordinated the administration and marketing of the music rights to works by around 200 European artists, such as the Prinzen, that remained with the group.{{cite web |language=de |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/musikbranche-bertelsmann-verwertet-die-prinzen/1347116.html |website=Der Tagesspiegel |title=Bertelsmann verwertet die Prinzen |date=October 15, 2008 |access-date=June 6, 2019}} The catalog formed the cornerstone for the foundation of BMG Rights Management in 2008.{{cite news |language=de |author=Arndt Ohler |title=Bertelsmann bietet Musikern neuen Service |newspaper=Financial Times Deutschland |date=October 9, 2008 |page=5}} Masuch was managing it from the beginning, and positioned the company as a fair and service-oriented partner for artists.{{cite news |language=de |title=Der Künstler ist König: Bertelsmann steigt mit neuer Firma wieder ins Musikgeschäft ein |author=Martin Krause |newspaper=Neue Westfälische |date=October 15, 2008}} He also focused on digital marketing, especially on streaming services.{{cite news |language=de |author=Stefan Betschon |title=Online-Musik im Aufwind |newspaper=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |date=October 17, 2008 |page=59}} With the support of Thomas Rabe, Chief Executive Officer of Bertelsmann,{{cite web |language=de |url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/management/thomas-rabe-der-visionaer-mit-der-bassgitarre/4738934.html |title=Der Visionär mit der Bassgitarre |website=Handelsblatt |date=October 10, 2011 |access-date=June 6, 2019}} Masuch organized the temporary participation of the financial investor KKR.{{cite news |language=de |title=Bertelsmann: Duett mit Heuschrecke |newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel |date=July 9, 2009 |page=20}} From 2009 to 2013, KKR supported the international expansion and numerous acquisitions of BMG Rights Management.{{cite news |author=Wolfgang Spahr |title=BMG Is Back: Buying Songs With KKR Cash |newspaper=Billboard |date=August 15, 2009 |page=17}}{{cite web |author=Gerrit Wiesmann |url=https://www.ft.com/content/c106cd18-824b-11e2-8404-00144feabdc0 |title=Bertelsmann Takes Control of BMG |website=Financial Times |date=March 1, 2013 |access-date=June 6, 2019}}
Since 2013, Masuch has been a member of Bertelsmann's group management committee, the highest management body below the executive board.{{cite web |language=de |url=http://www.mediabiz.de/musik/news/masuch-steigt-bei-bertelsmann-auf/333755 |website=Mediabiz |title=Masuch steigt bei Bertelsmann auf |access-date=June 6, 2019 |date=June 3, 2013 |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213144753/http://www.mediabiz.de/musik/news/masuch-steigt-bei-bertelsmann-auf/333755 |url-status=dead }}
In January 2023, Masuch announced that he would retire from BMG at the end of the year. He named CFO Thomas Coesfeld as his successor as CEO.{{cite web | url=https://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/thomas-coesfeld-appointed-ceo-of-bmg-hartwig-masuch-to-exit-role-after-15-years/087330 | title=Thomas Coesfeld appointed CEO of BMG, Hartwig Masuch to exit role after 15 years }}
Criticism
The 2018 Echo Music Prize was overshadowed by a controversy over texts by Kollegah and Farid Bang that were perceived as anti-semitic.{{cite web |language=de |url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/arts_und_style/aus-aller-welt/musikpreis-antisemitismus-debatte-um-kollegah-und-farid-bang-ueberschattet-echo-verleihung/21159266.html |title=Antisemitismus-Debatte um Kollegah und Farid Bang überschattet Echo-Verleihung |website=Handelsblatt |date=April 10, 2018 |access-date=June 6, 2019}} Masuch also had to explain himself for the release of the album by BMG Rights Management.{{cite news |language=de |title=Strafanzeige gegen BMG-Chef |newspaper=Die Glocke |date=April 25, 2018 |page=17}} He emphasized the principle of artistic freedom, which the company takes very seriously. BMG Rights Management stopped working with both rappers, and initiated a campaign against anti-semitism.{{cite news |language=de |newspaper=Faz.net |author=Carsten Germis |title=Warum BMG die Kooperation mit Kollegah und Farid Bang stoppt |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/bmg-stoppt-kooperation-mit-kollegah-und-farid-bang-15550529.html |date=April 19, 2018 |access-date=June 6, 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.haz.de/Nachrichten/Medien-TV/Uebersicht/BMG-plant-Kampagne-gegen-Antisemitismus|title=BMG plant Kampagne gegen Antisemitismus|date=April 23, 2018|work=Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung|access-date=June 25, 2019|language=de|archive-date=April 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414195929/https://www.haz.de/Nachrichten/Medien-TV/Uebersicht/BMG-plant-Kampagne-gegen-Antisemitismus|url-status=dead}}
References
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Category:German chief executives
Category:German music managers