In a major strategic overhaul coinciding with its 50th anniversary milestone, Warner Music Italy has restructured its operations by launching two distinct frontline labels: Warner Records Italy and Atlantic Records Italy. The restructuring aligns with similar changes implemented across Warner’s UK and central European operations, creating a more agile framework to navigate Italy’s evolving music landscape.
Each new label operates with dedicated leadership teams, including label directors, heads of A&R, marketing, and promotions, all reporting to Warner Music Italy’s vice president Gianluca Guido. Warner Records Italy is helmed by Eleonora Rubini as label director, while Atlantic Records Italy is led by Marco Masoli, with both executives assembling specialized teams focused on artist development and market penetration. The new structure is designed to super-serve artists while providing more personalized attention to their needs.
Specialized leadership teams drive Warner Music Italy’s dual-label strategy, positioning for enhanced artist development and market growth.
The strategic shift comes at a promising time for Italy’s recorded music sector, which saw a 9.7% year-on-year increase in turnover to €208.1 million in the first half of 2025. Paid streaming subscriptions grew by 12.7% during this period, with domestic artists increasingly dominating the charts.
A significant feature of the restructuring is the emphasis on urban and hip-hop genres, with both labels appointing senior A&R urban managers – Ruth Hagos at Warner Records and Riccardo Primavera at Atlantic. This specialized focus reflects the growing significance of these genres in the Italian market. This strategic emphasis may create new opportunities for artists to secure sync deals for their music in visual media, expanding their revenue potential beyond traditional streaming. The labels will likely encourage artists to leverage social media advertising to build audience engagement and increase streaming numbers.
Meanwhile, ADA Italy continues its operations as Warner Music Italy’s distribution and label services division under director Renato Tanchis, who now reports to Atlantic’s Marco Masoli. The organization has established an exclusive partnership with Andrea Comi and Davide D’Aquino to strengthen its independent artist development capabilities. ADA has bolstered its market position through key partnerships, including a distribution agreement with Honiro Records, a prominent independent Italian urban label.
Through exclusive partnerships with industry veterans Andrea Comi of Attica Music and Davide D’Aquino of Triggger, Warner is strengthening its talent scouting capabilities via the WEA Music Italy brand.
The restructuring ultimately aims to offer more personalized attention to artists while capitalizing on market opportunities, potentially reshaping Italy’s music ecosystem as local talent, particularly in rap and urban genres, continues to flourish.
