“Artists are truly creative, and their value is in their ability to connect with their fans through their art in a different way than I think the average creator does. It's coming from a place that's really authentic for them.”
— Maria Weaver

The music industry thrives on the powerful connection between musicians and their fans—an extraordinary blend of art and culture. At the forefront of this initiative is WMX led by visionary Maria Weaver. In our latest episode, we had the opportunity to chat with Maria and explore how her creative leadership has transformed the company, setting unprecedented standards within the industry.

Maria plays a key role in overseeing the expansion of Warner's network of consumer brands. Her responsibilities include managing various day-to-day operations, such as streaming account management, playlisting, direct-to-fan and merchandising operations, consumer acquisition, content creation, legal & business affairs, and finance.

Maria brings a wealth of experience, with a career spanning over thirty years leading marketing and media teams. Prior to her current role, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Comcast Advertising. Additionally, Maria was one of the founders of Interactive One, the digital division of Urban One (formerly Radio One), where she was responsible for overseeing marketing and digital ad sales for all Interactive One brands.

Discover Warner Music Group's journey under Maria's leadership by reading the transcript below or exploring the key takeaways from the episode.

• Uniting Assets and Artists - Maria's role involves integrating all of WMX's monetizable assets like merch, media, and advertising with their artists. This collaboration creates unique and valuable packaging opportunities for brands. WMX’s distinct advantages, such as unparalleled access to artists, active participation in their tours, engaging pop-up experiences to connect with fans, and ownership of media assets, including newly launched fast channels, gives them a competitive edge.

• Harnessing First-Party Data - WMX distinguishes itself not just by managing media pieces but also by overseeing more than 200 artist websites and e-commerce platforms. This grants them access to valuable first-party data. By combining this data with third-party information and client insights, the brand can precisely and meaningfully target their audience.

• Beyond Brands - Numerous artists, including Diddy, Jay-Z, and 50 Cent, have amassed wealth by launching their brands. Maria claims that most artists aim to do more than just attach their names to existing brands as it provides them with lasting financial opportunities beyond their musical careers.

• Cultivating Positivity and Joy - Maria starts each morning with a positive mantra, affirming that greatness lies ahead and anchoring her belief that things will align favorably. The music industry's focus on spreading joy adds depth to this perspective by bringing immense happiness to people. Maria often reminds colleagues that their core mission is to bring joy. This notion infuses their work with purpose and makes challenges seem trivial.