Ryan Tedder‘s Runner Music has named Julia Betley as the company’s new head of sync. She will join the team at their headquarters in the company’s West Hollywood studio compound this month.
“From our first conversation, it was clear Julia brings the experience, confidence, and perspective needed to lead our Sync team,” adds Amanda Hill, Runner’s A&R President and Co-Chief Creative Officer. “I knew immediately she was the right person to build this with us, and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to the Runner team.”
Prior to joining Runner, Betley served as SVP, Creative Sync Licensing at Warner Records, where she led the sync department and oversaw creative pitching and licensing strategy while supporting high-profile placements for the label’s roster, including Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, and Teddy Swims. Previously, she spent over a decade at RCA Records, where she specialized in video games and original recording agreements across visual media.
+ Secretly Distribution has named Chris Welz, its longtime Chief Operating Officer, as the company’s newest partner. Through his tenure as COO, Welz has helped shape Secretly’s physical operations, while launching and developing its digital services and DSP relationships.
The company celebrated its biggest year to date in 2025, with successes from Bon Iver, Japanese Breakfast, label partner Hayley Williams/Post Atlantic and Third Man Records, Org Music, Ubiquity, Asthmatic Kitty Records, Invada Records and Ipecac Recordings.
Darius Van Arman, CEO of Secretly Distribution & Co-Founder of Secretly Group, says, “For over two decades, Chris Welz has been a trusted and tireless colleague, working in various roles at Secretly. He started as an intern and a warehouse shipping assistant, then served as a label manager and our head of digital, eventually rising to his current role of COO. One of my favorite qualities about Chris is that he always meets people where they are at, never makes people feel small, rather, his style of leadership elevates everyone around him. It’s why his team flourishes. But it is not only the immense respect he has earned as a leader that makes him extraordinary.”
+ Sony Music Publishing Nashville has announced the signing of singer, songwriter and artist Regan Rousseau. The agreement marks Rousseau’s first-ever publishing deal.
Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston said, “Regan is a brilliant songwriter with a strong creative voice and an exciting future ahead. We’re thrilled to welcome her to SMP and look forward to championing her as she continues to grow and share her music with the world.”
Rousseau is managed as a songwriter and artist by Milk & Honey Music + Sports. She was represented in the transaction by Derek Crownover at Loeb & Loeb.
+ The music rights company MusicBird has acquired the publishing catalogue of R&B duo Majid Jordan, the Toronto-based artist and production duo consisting of Majid Al-Maskati and Jordan Ullman. The deal comprises the publishers’ and writers’ shares of their catalogue, including their records “Her,” “Gave Your Love Away,” and “Stars Align,” as well as co-writes for other artists such as “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake and “For Free” by DJ Khaled, as well as tracks with Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and more.
MusicBird’s investment comprises both the writers’ and publishers’ shares from the Maskati and Ullman catalogues.
Paul Brown, CEO of MusicBird, said: “With proven, long-term success across genres underpinned by dedicated fanbases, Majid Jordan’s catalogue aligns with MusicBird’s strategy as we continue to build a diverse, hit-driven collection of music rights.”
+ Songwriter Max Martin — not to be confused with the Swedish hitmaker of the same name — has signed his first publishing deal with Big Loud Publishing.
“From the moment Max began collaborating with our writers, his great ideas, work ethic and positivity stood out and showed he was the perfect addition to the Big Loud team,” asaysdds Katie Flynn, Creative Director, Big Loud Publishing.
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