Paul Shaver Appointed SVP of Business Development at SoundExchange

Paul Shaver joins SoundExchange as SVP of Business Development

October 1, 2026 By Rafaela Fornitani

SoundExchange has appointed Paul Shaver as Senior Vice President, Business Development.

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Shaver will lead the organization’s efforts to identify growth opportunities, develop partnerships, and expand its impact across the music ecosystem, including its approach to artificial intelligence.

He joins the SoundExchange executive team, reporting to President and CEO Michael Huppe .

Shaver joins from the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency ( CMRRA ), where he was President of both CMRRA and SX Works , SoundExchange’s global publisher services division.

“Paul is a respected and forward-thinking executive with experience across many aspects of the music industry,” said Michael Huppe , President and CEO of SoundExchange . “He has a proven ability to anticipate change, build innovative solutions, and turn opportunity into growth.

“As technology reshapes how music is created, distributed, and monetized, Paul ‘s leadership will help SoundExchange expand its impact and remain at the forefront of the industry’s evolution.”

SoundExchange acquired CMRRA in 2017 , taking the Washington, D.C. -based organization into reproduction rights.

It agreed to sell CMRRA to Canadian rights organization SOCAN in July 2026 , in a deal that closed on September 1 .

Shaver ‘s tenure as CMRRA President was set to conclude on October 1 , according to Billboard Canada .

SoundExchange announced his appointment the same day.

> “As technology reshapes how music is created, distributed, and monetized, Paul ‘s leadership will help SoundExchange expand its impact and remain at the forefront of the industry’s evolution.” Michael Huppe , SoundExchange

CMRRA was founded in 1975 , represents most music publishers operating in Canada , and marked its 50th anniversary in 2025 .

Its collections and client distributions rose more than 120% from 2020 under Shaver , Billboard Canada reported.

Shaver has more than three decades of experience in the music industry and was named President of CMRRA in 2019 .

Before CMRRA , he held senior positions at Nielsen Entertainment Canada , Universal Music Canada , EMI Music Canada , and Virgin Music Canada .

He was named to Billboard Canada ‘s Power Players list in both 2024 and 2026 .

Billboard Canada described Shaver as operating at the center of the systems that ensure “songwriters and publishers actually get paid.”

“SoundExchange has the expertise, relationships, and data assets to help shape the next chapter of the music industry,” said Shaver .

“I am excited to join the team and work with creators, rights owners, licensees, and industry partners to build meaningful partnerships, identify new opportunities for growth, and ensure those we serve continue to benefit as technology reshapes the music ecosystem.”

> “SoundExchange has the expertise, relationships, and data assets to help shape the next chapter of the music industry.” Paul Shaver

SoundExchange describes itself as the largest global neighboring rights organization, and says it has distributed more than USD $13 billion in digital performance royalties to more than 800,000 music creators since its founding in 2003 .

As the sole organization designated by the US government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, it collects royalties from platforms including Pandora , SiriusXM , and iHeart Radio .

The organization says it now holds more than 100 agreements with collective management organizations, covering 93% of what it calls the available global neighboring rights market.

Nearly 600,000 artists and rights owners use SoundExchange to collect royalties internationally.

In September , it signed a reciprocal agreement with the UAE’s MusicNation , letting SoundExchange -registered artists collect royalties for plays in the country.

SoundExchange ‘s annual distributions fell to an unaudited $991.5 million in 2025 , down 5.9% from a year earlier.

It attributed the decline to fewer settlements and lower reported SiriusXM revenue.

SoundExchange has campaigned for the American Music Fairness Act , which would require terrestrial radio to pay performance royalties to artists and rights owners.

Huppe testified on the bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee ‘s intellectual property subcommittee in December 2025 .

In 2024 , the organization announced plans for a registry that would let rightsholders declare whether their recordings can be used to train AI models, and let developers check those declarations before ingesting recordings. Music Business Worldwide

_Originally reported by [Music Business Worldwide](https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/paul-shaver-joins-soundexchange-as-svp-of-business-development/)._