Taylor Lindsey promoted to Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Nashville

Taylor Lindsey has been promoted to Chairman and CEO at Sony Music Nashville, effective January 2025.

Lindsey succeeds Randy Goodman, who, as announced in September, will retire at the end of 2024 after more than 35 years in the music industry.

Lindsey will oversee Sony Music Nashville and Christian music company Provident Entertainment. The executive will be based in Nashville and report to Rob Stringer, Chairman of Sony Music Group.

Ken Robold has also been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Sony Music Nashville, reporting to Lindsey with oversight of the company’s operations including Provident Entertainment.

Lindsey has been Head of A&R for the company since 2021, most recently serving as Executive Vice President.

Sony Music notes that she has “worked closely with the company’s diverse roster of recorded music icons, breakthrough acts, and rising stars” including Old Dominion, Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Maren Morris, Ryan Hurd, and Mitchell Tenpenny, among others.

Prior to joining in 2013, Lindsey worked in A&R at BMG Publishing, where she represented Grammy-award-winning songwriters such as Hillary Lindsey and Tony Lane.

Lindsey has been recognized by Variety’s Hitmakers, Billboard’s Women in Music and Country Power Player lists. She is an honoree of the 2019 Class of Leadership Music.

Robold, meanwhile, joined Sony Music Nashville in 2015 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing various departments, including Commercial Partnerships which works with digital service providers on opportunities for its artists.

Robold was previously President of Zac Brown’s Southern Ground Artists and spent 22 years at Universal Music Group, serving in various positions, including Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Nashville company.

Robold is a past Chairman of the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Board of Directors and President of the Board of Directors for Leadership Music and currently holds board positions for the Country Music Association (CMA) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

“I have witnessed Taylor become an all-round executive from an A&R background and she is ideally suited to plot the future for our Nashville team in a chapter where country music is clearly evolving and thriving as a key musical genre.”

Rob Stringer

In making the announcement, Rob Stringer said: “I am very excited that we can promote a creative talent from within the company to this top position.

“I have witnessed Taylor become an all-round executive from an A&R background and she is ideally suited to plot the future for our Nashville team in a chapter where country music is clearly evolving and thriving as a key musical genre.

“I am also so pleased that simultaneously to Taylor’s appointment Ken will be in an important wider role helping her build a new era for Sony Music Nashville.”

“I’m very grateful to step into this role.”

Taylor Lindsey 

Lindsey added: “I’m very grateful to step into this role. Along with Ken and the incredible SMN team, we are committed to fostering collaboration with our artists, creators, and fans, and will create a vibrant community that not only honors our rich heritage in storytelling but also redefines the sound of country music for generations.”

The confirmation of Goodman’s departure from Sony and Lindsey’s promotion to the company’s Chief Executive position isn’t the only recent news of changes in the C-suite of major record companies in Nashville.

In April last year, John “Espo” Esposito exited Warner Music Nashville after 14 years as the company’s leader. He was succeeded by Ben Kline and Cris Lacy.

In September, Warner Music Group veteran Gregg Nadel, who most recently served as President of Elektra Entertainment, was appointed Co-Chair & Co-President of Warner Music Nashville. He will work alongside Cris Lacy, who has been co-head of WMN for the past two years and marks her 20th anniversary with the company next year. Nadel succeeds Ben Kline, who has decided to step down after a decade with the company

Also in September, Universal Music Group Nashville appointed Robert Kilduff as Chief Financial Officer.

Plus, in April last year, Cindy Mabe became Chair/CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville, succeeding Mike Dungan who spent more than a decade at UMGN.Music Business Worldwide