Warner Music’s Marco Pantuso on why chasing trends won’t build a career

With one foot in Amsterdam and the other in London, Marco Pantuso is an influential force when it comes to shaping the global dance music landscape today. As Warner Music Group’s Director of Global Marketing for Dance Music, he’s at the helm of international campaigns for some of the biggest names in the scene, from David Guetta to Joel Corry, Ofenbach to Tiësto.

His role blends A&R, marketing, and strategy, bringing together over a decade of experience at Warner Music, including a key stint at Warner Records, and a vast global network built across the industry. Since Warner Music acquired Spinnin’ Records in 2017, Pantuso has been central to aligning the indie dance powerhouse with the major label ecosystem, without losing the edge that made Spinnin’ so successful in the first place.

In this conversation with Headliner, Pantuso discusses developing artists for long-term success over one-hit wonders, why he advises artists to focus on what’s next rather than saturated trends, and predicts that a growing movement of club-rooted and region-specific music will break into the mainstream.

You've played a pivotal role in the global dance music scene, overseeing the careers of numerous artists. How have you seen the popularity of dance music evolve over the years, especially in light of recent trends?

It's a significant question. There's more music out there now than ever before, spanning across all genres, including dance. Nowadays, artists excel in finding their niche compared to a few years ago. There is no typical formula anymore, no all-encompassing trend; the scene has diversified greatly. Which is also very exciting.

The business has evolved, too, with the market becoming very fragmented. The fanbase has become even more crucial. As an artist, you want to build a dedicated audience willing to follow you and invest in you. That’s how you build a sustainable business, whether your goal is having global hits or ticket sales.

It's quite diverse now. At Warner Music, of course, we're in the business of hits; that's our fuel. With so much music out there, though, it's become challenging to predict the next big thing and cut through the noise. It’s more challenging than ever, but we pride ourselves on being quite adept at it.

How does TikTok factor into predicting the next big thing?

TikTok is part of this evolution, particularly concerning our audience's behaviour. We must adapt to their changing consumption habits. In the past, we'd spend weeks or months crafting the perfect plan, aligning with gatekeepers like Spotify, Apple Music, and radio programmers. We still do that, but we also need to stay very flexible, ready to change and adapt as we go.

Attention spans are shorter now, and music is largely discovered and consumed on TikTok. When it comes to artist development, for example, you might spend a great deal of time creating a long-term plan. 

But often, halfway through, or even earlier, you find yourself having to change everything, simply because the audience is responding differently than expected. Which is okay, the key is listening to our audience with an always-on approach: what’s our audience telling us?

These past years, TikTok has brought to the market a wave of new artists. Kids discover something on TikTok, and so do we. We’ll spot it, reach out to them, and we might have a hit with that one track. From there, we always try – because artist development is part of our DNA – to build that person into a long-term artistic proposition. 

Something that goes beyond the one hit. But it doesn’t always work. Sometimes the success comes too quickly, sometimes the artist simply doesn't have what it takes for the long haul, and sometimes the audience has already moved on. When it does work, though, it’s the most rewarding thing.

We try to manage how our music travels on TikTok, but ultimately, it's the audience who decides. Once you remove the gatekeepers, the audience discovers and interacts with music in ways that are harder to control. It's challenging, but we're navigating it.

The digital era has revolutionised how music is consumed and marketed. How has Warner Music Group adapted its strategies to leverage digital platforms and streaming services in promoting dance music globally?

We're constantly looking at these platforms; it’s a big part of our job. We have dedicated data teams who analyse them for us, but every market and pretty much every A&R at a major label also looks at data daily.

It’s not just about the music itself, but also about tracking our artists, trends, and creators and looking at how they're moving and engaging across social platforms. That’s hugely important to us. 

Sometimes it’s about spotting where the next hit might come from; other times it’s understanding how a track we’ve just signed needs to perform on social media to connect with an audience.

So we monitor these platforms constantly. But beyond that, we also have relationships with them. We’re in regular contact with people at TikTok, Spotify, Instagram, Apple and others, whether it’s for support or for partnering on a specific campaign with our artists. 

It’s become absolutely essential for any artist who’s serious about a career in music, because it is a career, to have a strong, genuine, and lasting presence on these platforms. And that presence has to be authentic.

Warner Music Group acquired Spinnin’ Records in 2017. How has this acquisition influenced Warner Music Group’s strategy in the dance music sector?

At Warner Music, our structure positions us as a major label, with Spinnin' acting more independently within the dance scene. We're well-prepared to face whatever challenges the industry brings, and we're equipped to maximise every opportunity and adapt accordingly.

One thing we’ve done well at Warner Music since acquiring Spinnin’ is ensuring they became part of the Warner Music system, meaning we gave them access to all our resources and channels, while still allowing them to do things their way. At no point did we try to turn Spinnin’ into Warner Music.

The way I like to describe it, although some might find it an odd comparison, is that Spinnin’ has remained an independent label within a major label system. They’ve continued doing what they do best. Their strategy hasn’t changed fundamentally; it’s evolved, but not according to any Warner Music agenda. They’ve stayed the same indie dance powerhouse they were before the acquisition, and they still are.

That’s also what has allowed Warner Music to have its ear to the ground in the dance scene. We’ve been really present, thanks to this machine that’s constantly scanning for new artists, new tracks, and new trends. Then, whenever Spinnin’ develops something to a level beyond what an indie label can typically handle, that’s when Warner Music steps in.

Take an act like CYRIL, for example. Spinnin’ managed the early stages meticulously. Last year, CYRIL had two massive dance hits at the same time, which is quite unusual for a new artist, and each is now approaching a billion streams. Once Spinnin’ had taken the project as far as they could, that’s when the larger Warner Music machine got involved.

That’s part of my role, too. I’ll work with Spinnin’, reaching out to Warner Music colleagues across the world, and asking them to take the track to the next level in their markets. In the case of CYRIL, it was also essential to use that momentum to start building the artist's profile at a local level. 

Spinnin’ is fantastic at what they do, and when the time is right, we can count on a full network of people around the world with local know-how and experience. That’s where Warner Music comes in – with the big guns and the big resources.

With your experience in both A&R and marketing, how do you approach nurturing and promoting emerging dance music talent in today’s competitive industry?

It’s a combination of many things. The secret is not to rush it. When you’re working with a new or emerging artist, or a young producer or DJ, you look for opportunities, but it’s important not to move too quickly and remember that developing an artist properly takes time.

It’s about creating an environment where the artist has the freedom and resources to work on what makes them special, nurturing their music, and gradually building a live business around themselves. That, in turn, helps them grow an audience, which then supports growth on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and so on. 

They also need time to shape their identity, to develop what makes them unique, which is a combination of how they look, how their music sounds, what they do online and so on. It’s a slow, organic process that can take years.

So we make sure they have the space to evolve. Together with their management, we support them in building their live business, connecting them with the right agents if needed. If they need help with socials, we’ve teams that specialise in that and so on. And, of course, the most important part: the music.

We help guide the musical direction to ensure it makes sense commercially, but more importantly, that it truly represents the artist. Something I always try to avoid is when an artist comes to me and says, “This is what’s working right now; should I make music like this?” My first response is always, "Do you actually like it? Does it represent you?”

I always tell them: don’t do something just because it’s trending. Yes, it’s important to stay connected to what’s resonating with people, to have a foot in the present, but also to push forward into what’s next. Above all, it has to feel authentic. It needs to be something that excites and inspires you.

There are two reasons for that. First, it’s demoralising to make music you don’t enjoy, even if it works commercially. Second, audiences today are incredibly sharp; they’ll pick up straight away if it’s not genuine. You can change your style, of course, but it needs to happen gradually and in a way that reflects who you are. 

At the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to make music that works. It’s to make music that reflects who you are as an artist, something that feels creatively honest. In the long run, that’s the basis for creating a virtuous circle.

As someone connected to both Amsterdam and London, two major hubs for dance music, how do these locations influence your approach to global marketing and strategy at Warner Music Group?

The UK and Europe still operate in very different ways when it comes to music, despite being geographically so close. The UK tends to be quite closed off to things that aren't homegrown. So, in many ways, it can feel like working across two separate industries: there’s the UK music industry, and then there’s Europe, and, more broadly, the rest of the world.

What works in Europe doesn’t always translate in the UK, and vice versa. That’s why having one foot in Amsterdam and one in the UK really helps. It allows me not only to follow different projects that may perform well in different regions, but also to stay on top of what’s emerging from both sides – what’s happening in the UK from an A&R perspective, and what’s going on across Europe.

Amsterdam, in particular, is a fantastic place to be if you’re serious about dance music. With the sheer number of Dutch DJs and producers, plus a constant flow of events – new shows, clubs, talent – it’s a hub of activity. The city is also often a gateway for non-European music entering the continent, partly because the Dutch audience is so open-minded.

On the other hand, I spent many years in London and still have a strong understanding of the UK scene, along with a solid network there. That’s incredibly useful. The UK is a major force in music, including dance, and it’s vital to keep a close eye on what’s happening there at all times.

How do key topics that were highlighted at IMS impact your role at Warner Music Group?

A lot of this year’s discussions centred around clubbing – both the culture and the business of clubs themselves. There are artists who’ve built very successful careers simply by focusing on live shows and ticket sales. 

Many of the panels this year addressed that and looked at the future of clubbing and how so many artists have managed to build strong audiences within that space.

What that brings to mind for me is that, even though we now spend so much time focused on what’s happening online with TikTok and data, which, of course, plays a huge role in our work, there’s still a lot happening offline and in the underground scene. 

Especially in genres that haven’t traditionally crossed over into the mainstream, like techno, melodic techno, tech house, or Afro house. We've seen recently how Afro house went from being a club genre to charting.

So, while data and platforms like TikTok are crucial, there’s a real buzz happening in the clubs. And maybe we need to do again what we used to do a while ago: getting our teams back out into the clubs, really immersing ourselves in the scene and trying to understand what’s next. We’re obviously present already but we need to be even more now.

So there’s a lot happening in the underground, and it’s probably time we re-engaged with it more actively. That's something indie labels are still brilliant at: they’re agile, always out there, scouting the next wave. Meanwhile, we need to remember not to lean solely on data. It’s incredibly valuable, but it’s not the whole picture.

What are your predictions for the future of dance music, both in terms of artistic trends and industry developments? How is Warner Music Group preparing for these changes?

My prediction is that we’ll see more and more music crossing over from the clubs and into the mainstream. Tracks that you wouldn’t typically expect to chart or get radio play – music that might feel entirely underground – will start to surface more quickly than you’d think. Whether it’s coming from the club scene in Berlin or from the summer circuit in Ibiza, I believe club music will increasingly break into the mainstream.

We’ve already seen it happen with Latin music, Afrobeat, and K-pop styles that were once considered highly regional or culturally specific. Now, they’re firmly embedded in global charts. 

Take Ed Sheeran, for instance. He recently released a track called Azizam, which is a Persian word. It features an Iranian producer and incorporates Middle Eastern sounds. This is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, embracing a distinctly non-Western musical identity.

So maybe Middle Eastern music is next; it might not be ready right now, but the moment could be coming. That’s just one example, of course, but the broader point is that music which once felt 'local' or culturally specific is now increasingly breaking through to global audiences. Last year, we saw it with Afro house music. We saw it with K-pop, with Latin music dominating the charts, and even with country music gaining traction across Europe and the UK.

And why is this happening? It goes back to new platforms. Everything is available to everyone, everywhere, at the same time. When an artist releases a song in Korea, it’s not just for Korean listeners; it's global from day one. Interestingly, it's often the audience that leads the way. 

We’ve seen people discover K-pop and ask, “Why have we never heard this before? This is great!” Whether it’s in Italy or Germany, the appetite is there, and it's growing. The world is more open musically than ever, and audiences are helping us see what’s next.

The IMS Business Report in 2023 estimated the dance and electronic music market was worth $11.3 billion, having grown by 34% in 2022. What stood out to you about this year’s report?

The core takeaway remains: people are still deeply engaged with dance music. They’re interested. They care. They go out. I’ve read some of the same reports about a crisis in club culture – about clubs closing down – and yet, despite that, there’s no doubt that people and the new generations still love dance music. 

They want to discover it, they want to understand it more, and they want to experience it online and offline. So, for as long as there’s demand and genuine appetite, there’s work for us to do. The culture is still alive and well. It may be evolving, but the passion is still there.