As Catalogue Surges on Streaming Platforms, Universal Australia Launches 'Connect' Division

Universal Music Australia will mine more gold through its revamped catalogue division, led by Liam Dennis and Garret Haakma.

Announced Tuesday, July 15th, Dennis (General Manager of Catalogue) and Haakma (General Manager – Marketing) will apply their experience in strategic marketing, collaborative partnerships, new technologies, immersive experiences and engaging audiences to this “reimagined” catalogue division, Universal Music Connect, reads a statement from UMA.

UMC, comments Sean Warner, president and CEO, Universal Music Australia & New Zealand, will try catch the long tail on domestic and international works.

“The announcement of Universal Music Connect is a sign of Universal Music Australia’s dedication and commitment to shaping culture through the power of artistry,” he says in a statement.

“To have a strategic division truly focused on bridging generations through the celebration of music’s past, while cementing its place in present cultural conversations and moments, UMC is unlocking endless possibilities for the future.”

In the streaming world where golden oldies are never out of stock, catalogue is a force, particularly on the albums front. It’s for this reason, ARIA will press the button on a major overhaul of its main charts from September 1, by excluding titles released more than two years ago.

Those catalogue cuts will have their own home, the ARIA On Replay Charts, which will gather and rank the most popular titles released more than two years ago.

Just three Australian titles appeared on the year-end ARIA albums chart for 2024. Two of those were catalogue recordings, Cold Chisel’s The Best Of (No. 44) and INX’s The Very Best (No. 81). Both were distributed by UMA.

“ANZ has world-class musical talent consisting of artists with incredible creativity, artistry, and individuality,” says Warner. “I’m excited for our team at UMC to continue driving the amplification of our Australian catalogue globally and deliver for our artists and labels.”

UMC’s relaunch coincides with the resurgence of Empire Of The Sun’s “We Are The People,” which is said to be firing globally on streaming charts, accelerated by marketing, socials, sync, brand partnerships and more.

This Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of Tame Impala’s third studio album Currents, a chart-topper that will enjoy a concerted push from the label, while Killing Heidi’s quadruple platinum Reflector enjoyed a return to the ARIA Albums Chart (at No. 22) following the release of a 25th Anniversary Edition.