Grammy-winning producer Giles Martin lands top audio job at Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group (UMG) has appointed Grammy-winning producer, composer and arranger Giles Martin – son of legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin – to a new global role as head of audio and sound.
Based at Abbey Road Studios in London, his new role will be to lead UMG’s work with new audio formats and consumer technology to encourage UMG artists to experiment in the company’s studios, including Abbey Road and Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.
His career, which began working with Sir George as a runner at his AIR studios, has followed his father’s approach to new sounds and experimenting in the studio.
Martin said: “The landscape of the way people listen to music has changed dramatically. This is an exciting time.
“New technology should ensure the artist can now connect directly with the listener and it’s our job as the music industry to make sure that connection is as clear and direct as possible.
“UMG artists have the best recording facilities in the world. We need to encourage artists to innovate and create great sounding music and to make sure this can be heard by everyone in the best way possible.
“It’s inspiring to be given the opportunity to work with an amazing team at UMG to push the boundaries of audio and sound for both the artist and the music lover.”
Universal Music UK chairman and CEO David Joseph added: “We’ve worked very closely with Giles through his work with The Beatles at Abbey Road and he’s increasingly become part of the wider Universal Music family.
“As well as being an innovative and exceptionally versatile producer, he shares our passion for excellence in how music is heard.
“Giles’ unique approach means that as formats and services change there’s no-one better to ensure we are best-serving artists, producers and fans in terms of audio delivery.”
Giles Martin has been long associated with Abbey Road Studios, with studio recordings, stage shows, TV and film works.
In 2007, he won two Grammys for LOVE, an album of remixed and mashed-up Beatles tracks, done with his father.
His recent film work has included Ron Howard’s documentary The Beatles: Eight Days A Week — The Touring Years, Martin Scorsese’s George Harrison: Living in the Material World and the British action franchise Kingsman.
In 2018, he has been producing music for the forthcoming Sir Elton John biopic Rocketman.
After last year’s 50th anniversary remix of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, he followed up this year, with a similar venture on their double white album The Beatles, out in November.
In interviews around the project, Martin asks fans to listen with fresh ears, that rather than four distinct songwriters working in separate rooms, they were functioning as a band urging each other on – and deliberately making a simple record because the world was expecting Sgt. Pepper’s Pt 2.
When Giles Martin was growing up, his father tried to discourage him from a career in music because he would always be compared to the elder Martin.
But Giles played in a band, wrote jingles at college, was a music director of the British TV show The Great Music Experience and produced albums for Hayley Westenra, Kula Shaker, Jeff Beck, Elvis Costello, INXS and Kate Bush.
Martin has served as head of sound experience since 2014 at Sonos Inc., a company that creates music and audio systems.
In June 2018, Martin was appointed by INXS as executive music director across all future projects by the band and their Petrol Records.
These include a documentary, live theatre show and the group’s repackaged, remixed and expanded studio albums, which are set to be released via Universal Music Group in partnership with Petrol Records.