Music Services, a division of SESAC Music Group, has made two key leadership appointments.
Nick LaPointe has been appointed Senior Director of Business Development, while Jay Sudarma has been promoted to Vice President of Marketing at CCLI Group, taking on the same title at Music Services.
Both appointments are effective immediately, Music Services said on Tuesday (September 29).
LaPointe joins the division with more than two decades of experience across business development, music licensing, and publishing.
He will focus on bringing new clients to Music Services, with an emphasis on YouTube administration, publishing and label administration, and distribution for artists and labels that own their masters.
LaPointe most recently served as Senior Director of Business Development at FUGA’s Audio Visual Services arm, where he led the signing of major and independent music publishers and expanded the company’s presence in Nashville.
He previously held the same title at AdRev.
Before that, LaPointe spent nearly two decades at Warner Chappell Music, directing mechanical licensing and YouTube operations.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Nick to the team. Throughout his career, he has earned the trust of independent publishers and labels by helping them turn their rights into meaningful revenue.”
Rose Cook, Music Services
“We’re thrilled to welcome Nick to the team. Throughout his career, he has earned the trust of independent publishers and labels by helping them turn their rights into meaningful revenue,” said Rose Cook, Chief Operating Officer of Music Services. “He brings a relationship-driven approach that aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering best-in-class service to our clients.”
Sudarma steps up to Vice President of Marketing at CCLI Group, where he previously served as Director of Marketing, alongside the new marketing brief at Music Services.
In the expanded role, Sudarma will lead global marketing strategy across both businesses, guide the division’s forthcoming rebrand, and drive the global rollout of its shared services platform.
He has spent the past decade at CCLI Group, where his work has spanned brand development, digital marketing, content strategy, website modernization, and cross-functional partnerships.
“During his tenure at CCLI, Jay has proven the value of a disciplined, data-driven approach to marketing, and this expanded role is a natural next step.”
Rose Cook, Music Services
“During his tenure at CCLI, Jay has proven the value of a disciplined, data-driven approach to marketing, and this expanded role is a natural next step,” said Cook. “He will work across brands in the Music Services portfolio, including AudioSalad, Audiam, Music Services Inc., The Harry Fox Agency, HAAWK, and CCLI, bringing a unified voice to a growing collection of brands while preserving the qualities that make each one unique.”
Music Services provides technology, distribution, licensing, and administration services to independent publishers and record labels, as well as collective management organizations and digital brands.
Its portfolio includes Audiam, AudioSalad, The Harry Fox Agency, HAAWK, Mint Digital Services, and SESAC Digital Licensing.
SESAC acquired Music Services in 2023, the same year it bought content and distribution platform AudioSalad.
The division later added rights management and UGC monetization company HAAWK in 2024.
CCLI Group, the family of worship brands within SESAC Music Group’s Church Music Resources division, provides copyright licensing and software for churches, with brands including SongSelect, Loop Community, WorshipTools, and SundaySounds.
SESAC Music Group, which is majority-owned by Blackstone, raised USD $889 million via a whole business securitization in 2025, backed by assets across its Performing Rights and Music Services divisions.
The transaction followed SESAC Music Group’s previous securitization deals. The company completed its first tranche in 2019, raising between $500 million and $600 million, according to MBW’s understanding.
In 2022, SESAC secured a further $335 million through a second tranche, followed by another $180 million raised via securitization in 2024.
Elsewhere in the company, SESAC and GMR joined ASCAP and BMI’s Songview copyright database, expanding the platform to more than 38 million musical works.
In 2026, SESAC also appointed UK-based music veteran Chris Sheehan as Vice President, International.Music Business Worldwide