Apple Music has appointed Ole Obermann and Rachel Newman as co-heads of the streaming service, a source familiar with the matter confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. They will report to Oliver Schusser.
Obermann left his post as the global head of music at TikTok back in February after working at the company for five years, serving as the company’s top music executive as TikTok became the most influential music marketing tool in the business. Obermann negotiated with Universal Music Group last year when the company prominently pulled its catalog from TikTok, citing concern over compensation for artists and the presence of AI music on the platform. The companies reached a new agreement last May.
Before TikTok, Obermann was the chief digital officer and an executive vice president of strategy and business development at Warner Music Group, and before then he was an EVP at Sony Music Entertainment. After Obermann left TikTok, Tracy Gardner took charge of the company’s music operations. Newman, meanwhile, is a longtime Apple/Apple Music vet, working at the company for over 16 years. She first joined the company back in 2009.
Music Business Worldwide first reported the news of Obermann and Newman’s appointment on Tuesday.
Apple Music is a leading DSP in the music industry, and since 2022, the company has served as the sponsor and a partner for the Super Bowl Halftime Show. This year’s halftime show with Kendrick Lamar was the most-viewed of all time, Apple Music said, averaging 133.5 million views across all platforms.
