Digital marketing platform Laylo has appointed music industry executive Taz Sharp as director of artists & events, EMEA.
The hire comes as US-based Laylo expands across the UK and Europe amid growing demand for its tools, which help artists and event organisers build direct relationships with fans across ticketing, merchandise, presales and music releases.
Based in London, Sharp will lead Laylo’s growth across the region, working closely with artist managers, promoters, festivals, and label teams to capture first-party fan data and reward engaged fans.
Originally known for its SMS drop campaigns, Laylo has evolved into a broader marketing platform for the entertainment industry, with integrations across Instagram, WhatsApp, Spotify, Shopify, and major ticketing platforms like Dice. Its audience segmentation tools and ‘RealFan’ technology are designed to combat bots and brokers.
“Across the UK and Europe, there’s a major shift happening around direct fan relationships,” said Taz Sharp. “A lot of people know Laylo for drops, but the platform has evolved well beyond that. From audience growth tools to fan segmentation and verified fan access, Laylo is helping artists and event teams build smarter, more sustainable strategies for growing owned audiences they can engage and reward directly.”
Artists including Zara Larsson, Noah Kahan and Muna launched verified artist pre-sales through Laylo’s RealFan Technology, rewarding genuine fans with exclusive access via unique codes while
using two-factor authentication to help keep bots and brokers out. The company says it blocked more than four million unverified sign-ups in April alone.
As more artists and event teams prioritise direct audience relationships and verified fan experiences, expanding across the UK and Europe is a huge priority for us
Alec Ellin
“Ticketing fairness has become one of the biggest conversations in live entertainment,” said Taz Sharp. “Artists and promoters are actively looking for ways to prioritise real fans over bots and resellers, and to rebuild trust around access. Laylo’s RealFan technology helps create a more transparent path to tickets, while giving teams the ability to grow owned fan relationships instead of relying entirely on third-party platforms.”
Sharp has joined Laylo after more than 15 years working across music, technology, artist development and brand marketing. Most recently, she was a founding team member at AI-powered Discord platform Levellr, where she built the company’s music vertical and worked
with artists including Fred Again.., Noah Kahan, Bring Me The Horizon, Oasis, Gorillaz, Jade, Caroline Polachek and Laufey.
Prior to Levellr, Sharp helped establish Believe’s UK artist distribution business, signing and developing artists including Royel Otis, Cian Ducrot and Genesis Owusu. Earlier in her career, she worked across artist management, touring, and consumer marketing campaigns for brands including Puma, Microsoft, and IHG.
“Taz brings deep experience across artists, fan engagement, and live events at a pivotal moment for the industry,” said Alec Ellin, co-founder & CEO of Laylo. “As more artists and event teams prioritise direct audience relationships and verified fan experiences, expanding across the UK and Europe is a huge priority for us.”
Laylo has partnerships across the entertainment ecosystem, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music, TikTok and Dice. It is backed by investors including Y Combinator, Eldridge and the founders of C3 Presents.
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