During his nearly 30-year career, Markland has been involved in the careers of songwriters and artist-writers including Brett James, Jeffrey Steele, Randy Houser, Brothers Osborne, Kacey Musgraves and more. Prior to joining Downtown, Markland served as vp, A&R, Nashville for Warner Chappell. From 1996-2006, he served as vp, Creative Affairs at Windswept Music Publishing. Markland, a Belmont University graduate, began his music publishing career working at Patrick Joseph Music in Nashville.
“I’m delighted to join Utopia on its mission towards ‘Fair Pay for Every Play’ and ultimately create new income streams for Creators,” Markland added. “Utopia’s vision is to focus on all sides of the Music Industry in a way that will immensely benefit Writers and Artists. As the number one Growth Partner worldwide Utopia will leave a lasting positive impact on the wider Music ecosystem.”
Utopia, which was founded in 2016, has been on an acquisition spree in recent months. Last January, the company announced its