In Canada: Universal Music Canada Lays Off Staff Across Several Departments
Billboard ·
Also this week: Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 is returning in November.
Universal Music Canada (UMC) has laid off employees across several departments, Billboard Canada has learned.
The layoffs were reportedly announced to staff in a company town hall at the major record label on Tuesday (Sept. 29). Sources say more than 12 roles were included in the announcement. According to a 2025 annual report by Universal Music Canada , the company employs approximately 205 people, so the cuts represent approximately 6-7% of the label’s workforce in Canada. UMC did not respond to a request to verify the number of layoffs.
Cuts were made across divisions, including positions in communications, marketing, A&R, label partnerships and admin. That includes senior roles at the label, with at least one with a vice president title and another with a senior manager title
Universal Music Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Universal Music Group (UMG) headquartered in Toronto, with offices also in Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. The layoffs reportedly affected multiple offices.
The cuts were reportedly made for cost-cutting and restructuring reasons and not based on performance.
UMC declined to comment on this story, writing that the company does not comment on employee relations.
“UMC continues to be Canada’s leading music company — proudly signing and supporting Canadian artists and representing UMG’s global roster of talent in the Canadian market,” a representative from the company says in a message to Billboard Canada .
The layoffs fit a trend of cost-cutting and consolidation throughout the global music industry as well as domestically.
Globally, in 2024, Universal Music Group announced a “strategic organizational redesign” meant to generate €250 million in savings within two years. UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge said that it would result in “reduced headcount” and “efficiencies.” Dozens of layoffs came soon after , across the major group’s labels, including Interscope, Republic, Capitol, Def Jam and Island.
The layoffs at UMC are the biggest staff reduction at the Canadian wing of the major label since Julie Adam was promoted to the top role of president and CEO at the beginning of 2025 . She succeeded Jeffrey Remedios , who shifted roles to president of strategic development at REPUBLIC Collective after a decade leading UMC.
On Thursday (Oct. 1), two days after the layoffs, UMG announced it was promoting Frank Briegmann to a new role as chairman & CEO of Universal Music Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the German label Deutsche Gramophon. In Canada, Julie Adam will now report to Briegmann while continuing her role as president & CEO of UMC. They will now collaborate, bringing Canada closer to the major label group’s global operations.
A spokesperson from UMC stresses that the timing of Briegmann’s appointment and the company’s job cuts this week are unrelated.
Read more here . — Richard Trapunski
Billboard Canada ‘s celebration of the new generation of the Canadian music industry is back for a second year.
Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 is dedicated to recognizing the influential executives driving the Canadian music industry forward and shaping the global music business.
Following the inaugural list in 2025, Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 is returning to Toronto with a celebration at SOUNDSTAGE on Nov. 20.
The illustrious list recognizes people from all over the music industry, from live music to management, record labels to publishing.
The first-ever 40 Under 40 list in Canada included an impressive and diverse list of under-40 luminaries including Will Bracey of the Bieber Family Office, William Robillard Cole and Tamir Schlanger , the managers behind Kaytranada, Showpass founder Lucas McCarthy , Amazon Music’s A. Harmony , Warner Music Canada co-general manager Julia Hummel , Live Nation’s director of Latin music, Ricky Taco and more.
La Mar Taylor , creative director for The Weeknd, co-founder of XO Records and the creative incubator HXOUSE, was honoured with the first-ever Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 Visionary Award for more than a decade of influence and success both in Canada and internationally. That included his work on the After Hours Til Dawn tour, which shattered records in 2025 and is wrapping up its latest worldwide run .
This year’s ceremony will present the 2026 edition of the Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 Visionary Award to a Canadian who has made inroads internationally, all while proudly championing and representing the music industry back home.
Read more, get your tickets and submit your nomination for Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 here . — Billboard Canada