Soraib el Jelali has been appointed Head of A&R, Benelux at Warner Chappell Music (WCM), the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group.
He will be based at WMG‘s Amsterdam offices and report to Niels Walboomers, President, Publishing, Benelux and Recorded Music, Central Europe, WMG.
El Jelali will lead the publisher’s talent discovery and development across the region, tasked with expanding WCM‘s domestic roster and creating avenues for Benelux-based songwriters and producers to work with international talent.
El Jelali first joined WMG in 2023 as Head of A&R at Atlantic Records Benelux.
He had previously held A&R roles at Sony Music Publishing and TRIFECTA, and began his career in artist management, booking and event organization.
He co-founded the independent label Khoya Records in 2018.
During his time at Atlantic Records, he worked with artists including Antoon, Kaya Imani, SMIB, Trobi and Diamond-certified Roxy Dekker.
“I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank Niels [Walboomers] and Guy [Moot] for their trust and belief in me,” said el Jelali.
“I’d also like to give a shout out to all of the artists and teams I worked with at Atlantic. I’m immensely proud of everything we achieved together.
“I’m very excited to return to the world of publishing, and can’t wait to get started with the incredible roster and talented A&R team at Warner Chappell. Together, we’ll continue to build a bright future for our songwriters and create meaningful opportunities and successes in the years ahead!”
“I’m very excited to return to the world of publishing, and can’t wait to get started with the incredible roster and talented A&R team at Warner Chappell.”
Soraib el Jelali, Warner Chappell Music
Roxy Dekker was signed to WCM Benelux through Head of A&R Lekeisha Irion before being developed across the company’s publishing and recorded music divisions.
Walboomers told MBW in a World Leaders interview last year that el Jelali, as his recording A&R, and his publishing team “working together actually increased the chance of doing a deal” for the artist.
Walboomers joined WMG in 2022 from Sony Music Publishing, where he spent over a decade as Benelux Managing Director.
“I’d like to congratulate Soraib on his well-deserved appointment,” said Walboomers.
“Soraib balances an innate creative spirit with an intuitive understanding of the Benelux music landscape and proven track record of nurturing talent. I’ve full confidence that he’s the ideal leader to spearhead our A&R strategy, unlocking new opportunities and driving a prosperous future for our songwriters.”
El Jelali‘s hire follows other recent moves at WCM Benelux.
“Soraib balances an innate creative spirit with an intuitive understanding of the Benelux music landscape and proven track record of nurturing talent.”
Niels Walboomers, Warner Music Group
The publisher entered into an exclusive worldwide administration agreement with Blue Skies Publishing in October 2024.
Blue Skies represents around 100 songwriters and catalogs containing more than 100 Top 40 hits.
WCM Benelux has also signed dance producers CYRIL and Mau P to its publishing roster.
CYRIL‘s Stumblin’ In peaked in the global Shazam Top 5, while Mau P‘s Drugs from Amsterdam topped Beatport‘s Top 10 chart for over a month in 2022.
The appointment follows a year of recognition for WCM Benelux, which the company says has been honored at regional events including the Buma Awards and Edison Awards.
Guy Moot, whom el Jelali thanked in his statement, remains Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music and was named the 2026 recipient of the UK’s Music Industry Trusts Award.Music Business Worldwide
