with Universal Music Group to remaster
1,000 iconic videos — like Tom Petty’s “Free
Fallin’ ” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”
— in high definition. With artist develop-
ment programs like the Foundry, Spotlight
Stories, Artist on the Rise and the artist tool
YouTube Premieres, Cohen says he’s driven
by the desire to “find, nurture and bring to
market someone that musically changes
pop and culture.”
Daniel Ek
Founder/CEO, Spotify
Dawn Ostroff
Chief content officer, Spotify
Horacio Gutierrez
Head of global affairs/
chief legal officer, Spotify
Spotify, with nearly 250 million users and
113 million paid subscribers, made a big
push into podcasting in 2019 with a report-
ed $400 million investment, including the
acquisition of Gimlet Media and technology
provider Anchor in February. Those moves
are about “expanding our mission from just
being about music to being about all of
audio and being the world’s leading audio
platform,” Ek told CNBC at the time of the
deal. Spotify has reported monthly active
user growth of 30% year over year as of the
third quarter in 2019 and, with a presence
EK
OSTROFF
GUTIERREZ
PANG
YIP
Oliver Schusser
Vp Apple Music and international content,
Apple
Amanda Marks
Global head of business development and
music partnerships, Apple IS&S/Apple Music
Rachel Newman
Global head of editorial, Apple Music
Zane Lowe
Global creative director/artist
relations/host, Apple Music
Larry Jackson
Global creative director, Apple Music
Following a period of rapid growth, Apple
Music passed 60 million subscribers,
making 2019 the streaming giant’s most
successful year since its mid-2015 launch,
according to the company. Now led by
Schusser, a veteran of iTunes’ international
operations who succeeded Jimmy Iovine
in 2018, Apple Music is guided by a more
diverse executive team. The service rolled
out a slew of new features (including lyrics
updated in real time) and launched the
inaugural Apple Music Awards, all while
continuing to tout the values of editorial
curation over algorithmic selection, as well
as paying for music. “Artists, songwriters
— everyone — should get fairly compen-
sated for their art,” says Schusser, “and we
continue to stand for that.”
in 79 markets, Ostroff says the company
is “enabling a borderless music ecosystem
that’s allowing artists to connect with fans
regardless of geography. We’ve found that
more than 60% of Spotify users discovered
an artist from a country outside of their
own within the last month.”
Cussion Kar Shun Pang
CEO, Tencent Music Entertainment Group
To ny Y i p
Chief strategy officer, Tencent
Music Entertainment Group
Tencent Music’s paid user base has grown
42% over the last year, according to the
company, despite strong challenges
from services like ByteDance’s TikTok. In
December, a year after it went public on
the New York Stock Exchange, Tencent
Music announced plans to repurchase up
to $400 million in shares, a move that Pang,
45, said in a statement “reflects the board’s
confidence in the fundamental and long-
term potential of the company’s business.”
Tencent Holdings, which owns a major-
ity stake in Tencent Music, confirmed on
Dec. 31 that the company, as part of a con-
sortium of investors, is purchasing 10% of
Vivendi’s Universal Music Group. In a related
deal, Tencent Music will acquire a minority
share of UMG’s subsidiary in Greater China.
What Motivates You?
The goals, fears and addictive snack foods that inspire this list’s executives to innovate every day
SCHUSSER
MARKS
LOWE
JACKSON
UPLIFTING THE CULTURE
“It’s like therapy for me, being able
to help young people become very
successful, change their lives and
help their families. That’s what the
music business did for the culture.
Having come from nothing our-
selves, it’s a blessing.”
BRYAN “BIRDMAN” WILLIAMS
Co-founder/co-CEO, Cash Money Records
“The ability to play
a role in changing
the face of Amer-
ica and in helping
secure a worth-
while future for the
100 million-plus
U.S. Hispanic citi-
zens of tomorrow.”
RAÚL ALARCÓN JR.
Chairman/CEO, Spanish Broadcasting System
FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT
“Doing the right
thing. My men-
tors taught me that
giving counts —
whether it’s time or
money — but the
important thing is
to make an impact.”
ALISA COLEMAN
Board chair, Mechanical Licensing Collective
“The desire to protect our clients’
interests through reasoned thinking
and strategic advice — to provide
them with the most zealous repre-
sentation while always acting with
integrity. As Ruth Bader Ginsburg
said, ‘Fight for things you care
about, but do it in a way that will
lead others to join you.’ ”
LISA ALTER
Founding partner, Alter Kendrick & Baron
CRUSHING THE COMPETITION
“I’m as competitive as ever. I still
love breaking records. I still love
finding great new talent. I still
love figuring out the next great
marketing plan. The day I don’t, the
next day I’ll be gone and I won’t
be back. But until that day, we
are here to disrupt, destroy, break
down walls, drive at 200 mph ...
and it’s fuckin’ elbows out.”
SCOTT BORCHETTA
Founder/president/CEO, Big Machine
Label GroupDEFENDING CREATORS
“Songwriters are still treated like they
are at the lowest point on the totem
pole because they are owned by
the three biggest record companies
in the world. I want to empower
songwriters to bring the community
together, in the same way that the
screenwriters’ guild is very powerful.”
MERCK MERCURIADIS
Founder/CEO, Hipgnosis Songs Fund
KEEPING UP WITH THE KIDS
“Staying relevant.
I make sure I’m sur-
rounded by young
people who are
living and breath-
ing the latest music,
bands and DJs.”
LUCY DICKINS
Head of U.K. music, WME
SECURING THE ESSENTIALS
“My children and money.”
PIERRE “P” THOMAS
CEO, Quality Control Music
“Cheetos,
Speedos
and Tito’s.”
JASON OWEN
President/CEO, Sandbox Entertainment;
co-president, Monument RecordsNEWMAN
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EK:^ JUSTINBETTEMAN.^ O
STROFF:^ ANNIETRITT.^ G
UTIERREZ:^ SCOTTGRIES.^ P
ANG,YIP:^ COURTESY^OFTME.^ S
CHUSSER,NEWMAN:^ COURTESY^OFAPPLE.^ M
ARKS,^ JACKSON:^ KOURYANGELO.^ L
OWE:JOHNLAMPARSKI/GETTYIMAGES.