Just weeks after Condé Nast's decision to absorb Pitchfork into GQ, Warner Music Group (WMG) is the latest to announce incoming layoffs. As Variety reports, 10 percent of the Warner Music staff — 600 people — will be laid off in the weeks to come in an effort to "double down on core business," according to CEO Robert Kyncl.
Staffers of WMG-owned media properties, including publications like Uproxx and HipHopDX, will account for the largest percentage of workers losing their jobs. Kyncl's letter to the staff further indicated that the company is looking to sell both the news and entertainment websites. "These are dynamic platforms, but they operate outside our core responsibilities to our roster," the CEO reasoned.
He continued, "We’ve already begun to inform many of the impacted employees, and the vast majority will be notified by the end of September 2024. I recognize this is unsettling news. To the people who will be leaving us: you deserve a heartfelt thank you for your hard work and dedication. We’re fortunate that you’ve been part of the team. We’ll be moving as thoughtfully and respectfully as possible, so you have the critical information you need, and we’ll support you through this transition."
Similarly, Warner laid off 270 staffers last spring, which Kyncl called the result of "[making] hard choices in order to survive." Universal Music Group (UMG) is also expected to lay off several hundred workers over the next month as part of broader restructuring efforts. Alongside Sony Music Entertainment, WMG and UMG are known as the "big three" multinational recording companies.
