After a five-decade career with BMI, Barbara Cane has announced that she will retire from the company at the end of this year. While she is leaving her current role as BMI’s Vice President of Worldwide Creative, Cane has agreed to serve in an advisory capacity to BMI, working directly with CEO Mike O’Neill.
“After more than five decades, BMI is not simply where I have built my career — it is part of who I am,” Cane said. “It gave me the opportunity to grow, to discover, and, most importantly, to uncover the soul within the songwriter. Through every chapter of my journey, I have come to understand that creativity is not simply a profession; it is the heart of who songwriters are and the force that moves our industry forward. What has made this journey so meaningful is that my own values remain deeply aligned with those of BMI – to believe in creators, to nurture their gifts, and to create an environment in which their careers can flourish. After fifty years, that purpose still lives in my heart—and it is why this work has never felt simply like a career, but like a calling.”
O’Neill added, “Barbara is one of the first people I met when I joined BMI almost 32 years ago, and her kindness, caring nature and warm welcome showed me exactly why she is so loved by so many in our industry. She has demonstrated that same care and attention time and again to the many songwriters she worked with, nurtured and supported, and it’s why her relationships in this industry have endured. While Barbara and I started out as colleagues, we’ve ended up as family, and I don’t know many who can say that about the people they work with. The beautiful thing for me is that Barbara has agreed to continue working with me as an advisor, allowing BMI and our writers to still have her insight and counsel, while also allowing her to enjoy some time away from us for the first time in fifty years.”
Cane began working at BMI part-time in 1970 while she was still in high school and has dedicated her entire professional career to the company. She held numerous roles throughout her tenure, starting in BMI’s “Song Research” department and holding a number of creative roles including General Manager of the Los Angeles office as well as Vice President of Creative in New York, Los Angeles and London, directing the creative activities for BMI’s Pop, Rock and Indie teams.
+ Electric Feel Publishing has signed songwriter and producer Naila to the company’s UK roster.
Naila is a London-based, multilingual writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Barcelona who has worked with Joel Compass, H.lls, P2J, Gabzy, Moon Willis, Rimon, BenjiFlow, Mahalia, AoD, Dinos, JJ and ColeYoursTruly, among others. She has worked closely with and developed Spanish artists Violeta, Paula Cendejas, Chiara Oliver and Olivia Bay, as well as French artist Anaïs Cardot.
“I am incredibly excited to become a part of the amazing team at Electric Feel, it’s a blessing to be surrounded by this amount of talent and skill and I cannot wait for the music and experience ahead with the EF family!” said Naila.
+ Warner Chappell Music Nashville has struck a global publishing deal with Kentucky-reared singer-songwriter Elizabeth Nichols, known for her breakout single, “I Got a New One.” She made her Grand Ole Opry debut last November and has performed at Stagecoach, Lollapalooza, C2C and CMC festivals and has opened for Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Russell Dickerson, and Jordan Davis.
“I’m very excited to join Warner Chappell, where I can finally monetize my questionable taste in men. I have the best team in the world. Here’s to many more songs.”
Katy Wolaver, SVP, A&R, Warner Chappell Music, shared: “Elizabeth is a breath of fresh air… witty, clever, and unabashed in taking authentic life experiences and turning them into irresistible lyrics and melodies. Her songs embrace a wide range of moods and emotions, from unique takes on relationships to political satire. In just a short time on the country landscape, she’s moved her career into high gear, and all of us at Warner Chappell are delighted to join her on what is sure to be an incredible ride.”
+ Sony Music Publishing Nashville, in partnership with Taycan Entertainment, has signed rising songwriter and producer Jared Conrad to a worldwide publishing deal. Conrad has earned cuts with Cody Johnson, Lee Brice, Brothers Osborne, Ian Munsick, Randall King, Mitchell Tenpenny and Austin Snell, among many others. His credits also include co-writing Pentatonix and Meghan Trainor’s “Kid On Christmas” from Pentatonix’s Grammy-nominated album “Holidays Around the World.”
+ Columbia Records has announced the expanded role of Manos Xanthogeorgis as Executive Vice President, Creative & Digital, leading a newly formed creative team while continuing to oversee digital across the labe
In his expanded role, Xanthogeorgis will oversee creative and art direction, short- and long-form content, and the label’s digital functions, including audience development, viral marketing and social.
“What I love about music is that something deeply personal to an artist can become just as personal to someone they’ve never met. Finding new ways to help that happen is what keeps this work so exciting for me,” said Xanthogeorgis.