EMI's future in Terra's Hands.

Interested parties at EMI, Warner Music and in the City await Guy Hands' revelation about his vision for the music company's future as two Terra Firma directors are appointed to EMI board

Terra Firma CEO Guy Hands will set out his long-awaited vision for the future of EMI next month, after taking a month of soundings from the music company's new and existing management.

With EMI under new ownership and new management, the company's executives, City analysts, Warner Music and anyone interested in the future of the UK music industry have been trying to second guess Hands' plans for the major. Until now the private equity group and its chief executive have given very little away.

However, Hands has given a small glimpse of his action plan and priorities in a private memo leaked to Music Week last week, as news emerged about the departures of EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli and chief financial officer Martin Stewart. In that confidential communique, Hands said he would be meeting and working with existing management over the next few weeks to develop and finalise plans that best serve the group's "two key stakeholders: our artists and our customers".

After these meetings, Hands expects to communicate the group's strategy next month - this will outline Terra Firma's vision for the publishing and recording businesses, any further changes to the organisation structure and management teams and EMI's key priorities.

Hands also said ...