WME has hired Barbara Frum and Michelle Martinez as agents in its contemporary music division. Kirk Sommer, the agency’s global head of contemporary music and touring, made the announcement Tuesday.
What We Know: Frum joins from Outer/Most Agency, where she specialized in international touring. She will work from WME’s Beverly Hills office, booking electronic, pop, and rock acts across Canada. Martinez arrives from CAA, where she represented Coi Leray, Key Glock, and Fivio Foreign. She will be based in New York.
What’s At Stake: WME is clearly investing in cross-disciplinary talent expertise. Frum’s background spans artist management, theatrical production, and international touring. Martinez brings a strong roster of emerging and established acts to a competitive booking landscape. Together, they strengthen WME’s footprint in both live touring and developing talent markets.
What Remains Unclear: The full scope of each agent’s client roster at WME has not been disclosed. It is also unclear whether Frum will maintain her independent production work alongside agency duties. Additionally, how Martinez’s former CAA clients will transition remains unconfirmed.
What It Means: The traditional booking agent playbook is changing. WME’s latest hires make that clear. By bringing in Frum and Martinez, the agency signals it wants agents who operate at the intersection of touring, strategy, and creative development. That’s a direct response to what artists increasingly demand — partners who understand the full business, not just the calendar. For WME, this isn’t a staffing move. It’s a strategic one.
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David Hill serves as a Music Radio Editor, Columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. A radio lifer with more than 30 years behind the mic, in the control room, and in the program director’s chair, David’s career spans influential stops at brands such as WIYY 98 Rock, WBAL-AM, and 99X. He has worked across multiple formats and ownership groups, including iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media, developing talent, breaking music, and navigating every major industry shift from diary to PPM and terrestrial dominance to streaming disruption. When he’s not writing or analyzing the industry, Dave runs The Tune Farm, a marketing firm built to help artists and brands grow audience the same way great radio always has—by creating connection, not just impressions. He can be reached at David@BarrettMedia.com.
