On November 18, Sony Music announced that Taylor Lindsey would be appointed as chairman and CEO of Sony Music Nashville (SMN), starting January 2025. She will replace the current CEO Randy Goodman, who announced earlier this year that he would be retiring from his position. Lindsey will oversee Sony Music Nashville, as well as Provident Entertainment’s Christian music companies, and report to Rob Stringer, chairman of Sony Music Group.
Stringer’s Announcement
“I am very excited that we can promote a creative talent from within the company to this top position,” Stringer said in an announcement. “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.”
Ken Robold Named President and COO
Alongside the announcement of Lindsey’s appointment, Ken Robold was named president and chief operating officer under the new Sony Music CEO.
Lindsey’s Career Through Sony Music Nashville to Become CEO
Before joining Sony Music directly, Lindsey worked in artists and repertoire at BMG. In this role, she represented numerous songwriters to create recording opportunities and develop talent. In 2013, Lindsey joined Sony Music’s artists and repertoire department. According to a Music Row interview earlier this year, one of the first projects that established her reputation at the company was the 2015 signing of Maren Morris.
“I would say the first pillar of establishing myself as an A&R person was signing Maren Morris in 2015,” Lindsey said. “She had already released some songs on Spotify, and she and Janet Weir were creating their own little nucleus of independent artistry, but her partnering with Sony and really being a part of that was pretty incredible.”
Since 2021, Lindsey has been head of artists and repertoire for Sony Music, recently serving as executive vice president. Now, she carries this extensive experience to the role of Sony Music Nashville CEO.
The Impact of the Creative
“What publishing gave me was an understanding of the impact of the creative—and the art—and how you always have to have the creative right; how the music should always come first,” Lindsey said in the interview, “but what I had to learn was really the scope and detail of what it takes to market a song or an artist—the promotional aspect of that down to the A&R admin side and the release-planning side.”
Prepared to Tell Stories
Lindsey’s experience has prepared her for the role of chairman and CEO. She has been included in Billboard’s 40 Under 40 (2018), Billboard’s Women in Music (2018, 2019, 2023), Variety’s Young Leaders In Music (2019) Variety’s Hitmakers Impact (2020), Billboard’s Country Power Players (2022, 2023), and several others. Lindsey’s ability to create stories by working with artists has earned her a place as Sony Music Nashville CEO.
“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.”
Developing Talent and Creating Opportunities for Artists
From her initial signing of Maren Morris to taking on the role of Sony Music Nashville and Provident Entertainment’s chairman and CEO, Lindsey has significantly grown her career. The future of Sony Music Nashville will lie in its heritage of storytelling through supporting artists by developing their talent and creating opportunities to share their work with a wider audience.
