The Digital Media Association (DiMA) has extended president and CEO Garrett Levin’s contract for three more years.
Levin, who joined DiMA as president and CEO in 2019, played a key role in the music industry’s transitional effort to implement the Music Modernization Act, which passed in October 2018. As part of that, he helped launch the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) and was involved in the formation of the organization’s digital licensing coordinator role. He currently serves on the MLC board of directors.
“Garrett’s strategic leadership of DiMA has elevated both the organization and the understanding of the extensive benefits that streaming services provide to the modern music business,” said a statement issued by the DiMA board. “By advancing policies that ensure a robust and competitive music marketplace, he is ensuring streaming services will be able to continue to innovate and connect fans and artists while enabling growth for rights holders. We look forward to seeing DiMA continue to grow under his leadership in the years ahead.”
In the announcement, the board acknowledged that DiMA and Levin were “an active voice in a vibrant and growing music marketplace,” including weighing in on the consent decrees of the performance rights organizations when publishers sought to modernize them, providing insight on industry trends and encouraging legislation to help independent artists, among other initiatives.
In a statement, Levin underscored the role of streaming in the music industry’s economic turnaround. “A scan of daily music industry headlines shows how streaming continues to revolutionize the fan experience, drives revenue growth for rights holders, massive capital investment, and success for a wider and more diverse range of creators than ever,” he said.
On the other hand, Levin added, “vital conversations continue to develop around some of the longstanding structural, economic, and data challenges that may impact the ability of individual artists and songwriters to fully realize the benefits of this resurgence. Many of these challenges are as old as the music industry itself.”
Along with Levin’s contract renewal, DiMA also announced the promotion of Sally Rose Larson from vp, government relations to vp, government relations and public affairs. Prior to joining DiMA, she served as deputy chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives.
DiMA also hired Lauren Danzy as director, external affairs & industry relations. Danzy previously served as director, operations and outreach at Digital Licensee Coordinator Inc. and as marketing manager at SoundExchange.
Prior to joining DiMA, Levin, who graduated from NYU and Duke University School of Law, was with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) as senior vp/deputy general counsel, intellectual property law and policy. Before that, he served as senior counsel to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). Earlier in his career, he was an attorney advisor to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and a litigator for Jenner & Block.