WARNER MUSIC hopes to strike a blow against its rival EMI by giving a job to Martin Bandier, who resigned as chairman of the British company’s music publishing arm on Monday.

Mr Bandier could take the equivalent job at Warner and would be a valuable ally to Warner’s Edgar Bronfman in his attempt to buy EMI — assuming that regulators allow further consolidation in the music business.

The talks are at an early stage and there is no guarantee that Mr Bandier will move to Warner. The American also wants to consider a move into private equity and even a relationship with EMI in which he could end up owning a stake in a new publishing catalogue.

On Monday Mr Bandier, 65, surprised EMI by deciding to leave in April next year, 12 months earlier than had been expected. It is understood that he had “become bored” of a previously planned long transition and he wanted to entertain other job offers immediately.

He may hope to position himself to lead a buyout of the Warner/Chappell publishing arm should it be offloaded in a merger with EMI. A possible scenario is that Mr Bandier would join Warner in the hope that, in the event of a Warner-EMI deal, he would get the chance to buy out one company’s music publishing arms. If Warner were to buy EMI, it would be highly unlikely that any sale would take place without an auction.

Mr Bandier joined EMI in 1989 after selling his music and film catalogue business for $295 million. Since 1991 he ran the company’s music publishing operation, turning it into the world’s No 1, aided by acqusitions such as the Motown catalogue, bought for £110 million.

Warner and a representative for Mr Bandier declined to comment

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