OneMusic taps Karen Holmes to lead national licensing push

OneMusic Australia has appointed Karen Holmes as director, marking a significant leadership shift for the country’s primary music-licensing body.

Holmes stepped into the role on 24 November, taking charge of sales, customer service and business development as the organisation sharpens its focus on market awareness and industry partnerships.

Holmes brings more than 20 years of commercial experience across Are Media, News Corp, Pacific Magazines, and dmg Radio - a background, OneMusic says, that was central to the appointment.

Chief customer officer Kirsty Davison said Holmes is “a strategic and effective sales leader who will be instrumental in continuing to build awareness of OneMusic, deepening our partnerships with industry and growing the business”.

Holmes said the remit energised her: “I am excited to learn the nuances of public performance music licensing, how music is valued in bricks and mortar businesses and how to harness that value for the music rights owners. This role represents a unique opportunity to deliver results for music creators.”

How OneMusic fits into the industry ecosystem

A joint initiative between APRA, AMCOS and the PPCA, OneMusic is the only body in Australia that can issue licences allowing businesses to perform the majority of the world’s music repertoire publicly - fees collected flow directly back to songwriters, musicians and other copyright owners as royalties.

Holmes replaces former director Catherine Giuliano, who departed OneMusic/APRA AMCOS on 31 October after nearly two decades with the organisation.

Beyond her new remit, Holmes also serves as a board director for The Lokahi Foundation, which supports survivors of domestic and family violence.

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