Warner Music France Launches New Dance Label
Warner Music France unveiled its new dance label, Adore Music, in Paris on Monday (March 24).
The launch demonstrates the company’s intent to enhance its presence within the electronic music scene, according to Roman Pasque, Label Managing Director.
“France has a rich heritage of world superstars, such as Air, DAFT PUNK, David Guetta, and Gesaffelstein. Our ambition is to honor this tradition while cultivating the next generation of talent on the global stage,” Pasque stated.
The new label intends to leverage Warner Music’s global resources and networks to support its artists. It aims to discover and nurture talent both in France and internationally, creating new opportunities for them to reach broader audiences, as mentioned by Warner Music France.
First Release and Creative Initiatives
Adore Music has already commenced operations with its inaugural release, You Need The Most, by the French duo Ofenbach. The WM France team noted that the duo is set to make waves internationally in 2024.
“ADORE marks a significant milestone in the evolution of WM France’s involvement in dance music,” said Adrien Morin-Guardia, A&R and head of the marketing department at Adore Music.
“It is a tremendous honor for me to collaborate with passionate artists and teams, and to see these partnerships flourish over time. Some of these connections have been in place for over a decade with local icons like Federal and Ofenbach. Together, we aim to illuminate new talents and celebrate the achievements of our superstars, sharing our music with the world.”
To commemorate the label’s launch, Adore Music hosted a creative camp, bringing together more than 30 artists, producers, and composers at the new Warner Music France headquarters. The collaborative session included partners from Ultra Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music.
Growth of the Dance Music Industry
The launch comes amid the continued global rise of dance music, with Midia Research reporting in the IMS Business Report that the dance music industry grew by 17% year in market size, reaching $11.8 billion in 2023.
“Adore Music is a project grounded in music, with a mission to identify and support new talents. We strive to create an environment where artists can thrive and become true icons. In the ever-evolving dance music landscape, our goal is to shape the future by blending digital innovations with our artistic heritage,” stated Nicholas Clexi, A&R, and music enthusiast.
“In the constantly developing landscape of dance music, our goal is to form the future, mixing digital innovations with an artistic heritage.”
Nicholas Clexi, I love music
Warner Music Group acquired the Dutch dance label Spinnin’ Records in 2017 for over $100 million. In 2023, Warner Music Group’s Warner Records launched its first flagship electronic dance music label, Main Entries.
Next year, Warner Music South East Europe will introduce Balkan Elect, a record label dedicated to promoting EDM artists from the Balkans and Ukraine.
In recent years, other major music companies have also engaged in dance music. In April 2024, Sony Music Germany launched Marked Records, an imprint focused on developing the electronic and technology scene.
In 2022, Universal Music Group and Capitol Records UK introduced a dance music label called Raise Me in partnership with BELFAST DJ and A&R Connor Cowts. UMG also launched a dance imprint named Casablanca Records back in 2016.
With a reported revenue of $1.666 billion for the quarter ending 2024, Warner Music Group is expanding its genre labels across various markets. In September, it launched a new label called MPLIFY in Korea, dedicated to supporting Korean artists.
Additionally, in 2024, Warner Music Latina launched a label called Salt in partnership with Dominican artist Tokisha and her manager Angelica Writes within WML.
