HYBE Expands Global Label Services, Appoints Juan S. Arenas As President
The move also supports the company’s efforts to expand its music business beyond South Korea
News
HYBE, the K-pop entertainment company behind BTS, is consolidating its music distribution, marketing, promotion and publicity operations under a unified global structure as it strengthens support for artists across its international labels.
The company announced the expansion of its existing Label Services division into Global Label Services on Tuesday, appointing Juan S. Arenas, chief intellectual property officer at HYBE America, as president of the revamped division.
The restructuring is aimed at improving coordination across markets by giving HYBE’s labels access to shared distribution networks, marketing expertise and promotional resources. The move also supports the company’s efforts to expand its music business beyond South Korea.
“ The restructuring of Global Label Services is part of our efforts to build a global infrastructure that strengthens music distribution, marketing, promotion and publicity for HYBE artists operating worldwide from our bases in South Korea, Japan, the United States, Latin America and India,” said HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang.
He added that the move marks the starting point of the company’s strategy to expand and advance its business infrastructure.
Global Label Services will oversee worldwide distribution strategies, supply chain management and partnerships with regional distributors and digital streaming platforms. It will also coordinate marketing, promotion and publicity initiatives tailored to individual markets.
The division will support South Korean artists seeking to expand internationally, as well as artists signed to HYBE’s overseas labels looking to enter South Korea and other markets.
The move advances HYBE’s “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy, which focuses on building music businesses and developing artists across countries and genres rather than relying solely on exporting K-pop from South Korea. Under its multilabel model, individual labels retain responsibility for their artists while benefiting from shared infrastructure and services at the parent-company level.
HYBE first established Label Services in the US in 2024 as part of its HYBE 2.0 growth strategy before extending the initiative to South Korea and other markets. The latest restructuring brings these operations under a unified global framework.
As part of the overhaul, the company has announced several senior appointments to strengthen its distribution capabilities and artist support operations.
Nicole Csabai, formerly senior vice president of revenue at Interscope Records, has been appointed senior vice president of global distribution. Based in Nashville, she will oversee worldwide music distribution, partnerships, catalogue management and relationships with digital streaming platforms.
HYBE has also established an Artist Success Unit to coordinate artist-specific projects and serve as a central point of contact between its labels and global support teams.
Melissa Victor-Burkhardt, previously senior vice president overseeing publicity and brand strategy at Epic Records, has been appointed executive vice president to lead the unit.
Johanna Fuentes, a public relations executive with experience at CBS and Warner Bros. Entertainment, will work alongside Arenas on artist publicity within Global Label Services.
The reorganisation follows HYBE’s appointment of Jenni Pfaff as chief people and transformation officer, a newly created role overseeing talent management and organisational changes across its operations in South Korea, Japan, the US, Latin America, China and India.
Through the restructuring, HYBE is seeking to build a more integrated global operating model, enabling its labels and artists to access shared resources while pursuing growth across international music markets.