Paul Smith, former global head of International licensing at Spotify, has joined YouTube APAC as director of YouTube Music.
Smith will be responsible for running YouTube's Music business in the Asia-Pacific region, heading up music partnerships and further strengthening relationships with artists, rights-holders and industry stakeholders across APAC.
Paul Smith, director of YouTube Music, APAC, said: “Having been in the region for years, I have witnessed the incredible growth of YouTube’s music businesses here in APAC. I am honoured to be able to join and learn from an amazing team of colleagues at YouTube, and get to know and contribute to the future of the fastest growing music platform.
“Our artists and creators across the region are already building on their success stories around the world, and I look forward to working closely with our partners and creators to help them accelerate the growth.”
Lyor Cohen, global head of music at YouTube, said: “We are excited to welcome Paul to jump into the YouTube team in this Year of the Tiger. We have experienced massive growth in both our advertising and subscription businesses around the world, including APAC.
“Paul has joined our team at an exciting moment when innovation is happening across APAC with new monetisation options for creators and new ways of servicing our viewers, and will continue to build upon our relationships in the region.”?
Prior to joining YouTube, Paul Smith was the global head of international licensing at Spotify, leading the licensing of digital content from the international community of rights-holders around the world. He played a key role in launching and introducing the service around the world and strengthening relationships with rights-holders in emerging markets.
Smith has more than 25 years of global experience in the entertainment and technology industry, including leadership roles at Nokia, Microsoft, MixRadio and Universal Music.
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