In March 2025, Madrid hosted a meeting that brought together YouTube executives and representatives of independent record labels. The gathering focused on strengthening the relationship between the platform and the music industry, addressing key issues for the sector’s ongoing development.
Federico Scialabba – President and Founder – Music Brokers
Federico Scialabba is the president and co-founder of Music Brokers, an independent record label and publishing company founded in Buenos Aires in 1997. The company develops original catalogs, releases themed compilations, and licenses third-party content. Its activity combines physical and digital distribution across various countries, with stable operations in Latin America and Europe. From its inception, Music Brokers has built an integrated structure that brings together content curation, editorial management, and international circulation. Under Scialabba’s leadership, the company maintains its own rights management policy—without outsourcing—and works through local and regional distribution agreements. Its operating model is based on autonomy and specialization.
Dan Chalmers – Head of Music, Europe, Middle East and Africa – YouTube
Dan Chalmers leads YouTube’s music division across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. With over two decades of experience in the industry, he previously held senior roles at Warner Music, including President of ADA UK and Director of East West and Rhino Records in the UK. Since 2020, he has been part of YouTube’s global team. His responsibilities include coordinating music policy across diverse markets and building relationships with record labels and institutional partners. He is actively involved in initiatives to expand YouTube’s role as a professional channel for distributing and monetizing digital music content.
Tasha Taylor – Head of Music Business Development & Partnerships, EMEA – YouTube
Tasha Taylor is the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development for YouTube Music in the EMEA region. Her work centers on the relationship between the platform and record labels, ranging from independent companies to larger industry structures. From her position, she manages music content usage agreements and collaborates with regional teams to implement tools that enhance catalog visibility on YouTube. She also contributes to projects that help producers and publishers with decentralized models gain access to YouTube’s full range of functionalities.
Paul Smith – Managing Director – YouTube Music, Asia-Pacific
Paul Smith is the Managing Director of YouTube Music for the Asia-Pacific region. Before joining YouTube, he worked at Spotify as Global Head of International Licensing. At YouTube, he oversees the music division across a region defined by diverse regulatory, linguistic, and technological contexts. His role includes supervising music operations and developing partnerships with labels, distributors, and editorial managers. He is closely involved in adapting YouTube Music’s services and tools to meet the technical and legal requirements of Asian and Pacific markets.
Charlie Sánchez – Founder – Metales Preciosos Música & Discos
Charlie Sánchez is the founder of Metales Preciosos Música & Discos, an independent record label based in Spain. He previously served as President of Warner Music Iberia and co-founded Discos Radiactivos Organizados (DRO), a key player in the Spanish rock scene of the 1980s and 1990s. His current company works with artists who develop their own autonomous repertoires. The label has a distribution agreement with Virgin Music. Sánchez’s activity combines phonographic content management and editorial project leadership within a fully independent structure.
