Full-Time
Director Digital Strategy
Updated on 8/1/2026
Universal Music Group
10,001+ employees
Global music recording, publishing, distribution company
Compensation Overview
$85k - $97.7k/yr
Beverly Hills, CA, USA
In Person
 Growth & Marketing (2) |
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- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, including After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, and InDesign.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office or Apple iWork program suites.
- Proficiency in social media augmented reality and effect template creation tools, including TikTok Effect House, CapCut, Spark AR, and Snap Lens Studio.
- Proficiency with audience and social media music analysis platforms, including Chartmetric, Co:brand, MelodyIQ, Trendpop, YouTube Studio, and Meta Business Suite.
- Interest in gaming, the metaverse, and innovation spaces.
- Strong analytical skills, including the ability to create case studies and campaign reporting decks.
- A high degree of organization, attention to detail, and confidentiality is required.
- A degree in a relevant field or equivalent career experience is required.
- Music industry or artist relations experience is required.
- Strategize the digital narrative, short-form video, and content aspects of digital marketing campaigns for priority artists across multiple genres.
- Strategize creator and influencer campaign initiatives for artist releases, working with agencies and developing direct relationships with key content creators and channels.
- Manage cross-platform social media content calendars and digital fan engagement experiences.
- Build and manage artists' owned audiences by increasing data capture through customer relationship management strategy, including pre-save, short message service, superfan, and newsletter marketing.
- Contribute to paid media initiatives involving digital advertising spend, budgets, and viral strategy.
- Manage multiple campaigns in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
- Liaise with third-party vendors in the content creation, fan-building, and social community management marketplace.
- Maintain professional relationships with artists, label partners, and management partners.
- Troubleshoot administrative and support queries across social media platforms.
- Use insights from analytics platforms to assess campaign performance, amplification opportunities, and success.
- Author campaign decks and documents for presentation to internal Virgin Music Group teams, label and artist partners, digital marketing partners, and digital service providers.
- Manage a team of North America-based digital strategists and establish measurable goals, conversion key performance indicators, and reporting structures.
- Lead collaboration with internal marketing, production, insights, promotion, commercial, and program enterprise departments to execute interactive strategies.
- Monitor the wider social media and digital landscape for relevant trends, content opportunities, and initiatives supporting current campaigns.
- Interface with global Virgin Music Group Digital Strategy team members to create collaborative international digital marketing campaigns.
- Mentor and advise junior team members with constructive campaign feedback.
Universal Music Group manages the recording, publishing, and distribution of music for a global roster of artists. The company works by signing musicians to contracts, producing their albums, and making their work available through streaming services, physical sales, and licensing for film and television. Unlike many competitors, it operates a massive, integrated network across 60 countries that combines traditional label services with merchandising and brand partnerships. Its goal is to maximize the commercial reach and value of its artists' music through a diverse range of global revenue streams.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
Founded
1934
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Streaming still dominates recorded-music revenue, supporting recurring cash flows.
- Localized offices support faster licensing and rights administration for film and advertising.
- Merchandising and brand partnerships expand monetization beyond music consumption.
What critics are saying
- Streaming platforms control distribution leverage and can pressure royalty terms.
- AI-generated music floods platforms with substitutes, weakening human artist economics.
- Nairobi expansion faces local collection weakness, policy volatility, and fierce label competition.
What makes Universal Music Group unique
- UMG combines recorded music, publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content globally.
- Its catalog and artist roster span superstar and emerging talent across 60 countries.
- UMG monetizes rights through streaming, sync, physical, and direct-to-fan channels.
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Benefits
Competitive Salary
401k
Flexible PTO
Medical, dental, visiion insurance
Student Loan Repayment Assistance & Tuition Reimbursement
Well-Being Allowance
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 20%1 year growth
↑ 20%2 year growth
↑ 20%Capitol CMG can't kill lawsuit over failed Christian indie label deal. A federal judge is refusing to dismiss a lawsuit that claims Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG) improperly bailed at the last minute on a done-deal to buy a Christian hip-hop label. The deal, not publicly known until the December lawsuit, would have seen the Universal Music Group (UMG) imprint acquire Reach Records, an Atlanta-based indie co-founded by the rapper Lecrae. But Reach says Capitol CMG and UMG then suddenly balked at the price and killed the sale. Capitol CMG's lawyers wanted a judge to dismiss the case at the outset, arguing the deal wasn't final and it never misrepresented it as such. But in a decision Tuesday (July 21), Judge Waverly Crenshaw says that Reach's accusations, if later proven true, would indeed put Capitol CMG in legal hot water. "The story alleged by Reach is an old and familiar tale," the judge wrote. "The CEO either knew or should have known whether the purchase price was final, but he led Reach to believe it was, knowingly or oblivious to the truth, until closing." Reach and Capitol allegedly only signed a letter of intent (LOI), not a finalized sale contract. But the judge says the price wasn't up for further debate: "It is true that the LOI contemplated finalizing other issues. However, the process of finalizing the final purchase agreement does not lessen their agreement on the final agreed purchase price." The ruling allows Reach's lawsuit to move ahead into the discovery process, where both sides exchange evidence, and toward eventual rulings or a trial where the company must fully prove its accusations against Capitol CMG. Neither side immediately returned requests for comment on Wednesday (July 22). Founded by Lecrae and Ben Washer in 2004, Reach has grown into a player in the burgeoning faith-based hip-hop/R&B space. In addition to Lecrae himself - whose 2014 album Anomaly reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 - the label is home to Tedashii and Trip Lee and formerly to Andy Mineo, KB and others. According to Reach, it was Capitol CMG that approached it about a possible buyout last year - a move that came amid a recent boom in Christian music, partly fueled by its popularity on social media platforms like TikTok. But in its December lawsuit, Reach said the bigger label had scuttled the agreement "on the eve of closing the deal" by abruptly telling the smaller company that senior management had decided "the agreed-upon price was too high." The purchase price Capitol CMG agreed to pay for Reach was allegedly in the "multi-million dollar" range, but a specific price has not been disclosed in court filings. Reach claimed the sudden collapse of the deal had caused it serious harm, coming after it "altered parts of our business" to get ready for the merger. "We were literally at the finish line," the company told Billboard in December. "It left us in complete shock." Ahead of Wednesday's ruling, Capitol CMG's lawyers argued the deal was never final, meaning there had been no contract to breach in the first place. But in his decision, Judge Crenshaw says the letter of intent explicitly states that the price "will not be subject to renegotiation" barring the discovery of "material adverse findings" during due diligence. "It is alleged that the only reason Capitol CMG offered to avoid closing was that the purchase price was too high," the judge writes. "Accordingly, Reach has plausibly alleged the existence of an enforceable contract and CMG's breach." Capitol CMG also wanted the judge to dismiss Reach's other key accusation of legal wrongdoing: That the bigger label had illegally misrepresented that the deal price was final. But in Wednesday's decision, the judge said those accusations, too, were valid enough to move ahead. "On the eve of closing, CMG pulls out of the deal because of the purchase price. It has the temerity to do so after its CEO tells Reach that the investment committee approved the deal as well as the purchase price," the judge writes. "This story is more than enough to particularly and plausibly allege intentional and negligent misrepresentation."
Sony, Universal, Warner move to Nairobi set to boost Kenyan artists and producers. July 22, 2026 Three of the world's leading music powerhouses, Sony, Universal, and Warner Music Group, will soon set up shop in Nairobi, President William Ruto announced on Tuesday, July 21. Ruto highlighted the major move as a resounding endorsement of Kenya's burgeoning creative talent, clear policy framework, and active sector reforms. The breakthrough followed a high-level meeting between the Head of State and Victoria Oakley, CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), where both parties explored strategies to scale Kenya's creative economy. "I'm encouraged by the shared commitment to strengthening Kenya's creative economy and positioning Nairobi as Africa's next major hub for the recorded music industry," Ruto stated. "I am particularly delighted that Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group have all agreed to establish a presence in Nairobi," he added. Ruto pointed out that bringing these industry titans to the capital will directly benefit local artists, producers, publishers, and investors across the music ecosystem. "This is a significant vote of confidence in Kenya's creative talent, our policy direction, and the reforms underway to build a globally competitive music ecosystem," the president said. While securing these corporate bases marks a crucial first step, the government plans to shift immediate focus to full execution. The next phase centers on building an environment where local talent can build viable careers, generate foreign revenue, and stimulate job creation across the entire music value chain. The strategic push aligns with Kenya's broader goal to convert creative fields, including film, fashion, and digital content, into major economic drivers. Nairobi continues to solidify its reputation as a premier African creative center, driven by a dynamic local music scene and a surging wave of global tech, AI, and outsourcing firms seeking a foothold in the region. "The next phase is implementation, creating an environment where artistes, producers, publishers, and investors can thrive together, generating jobs, exports, and new opportunities for Kenyan creatives. Kenya is open for music. Nairobi is ready," Ruto concluded. How to download your KCSE e-certificate online, step by step.
Louisville Orchestra names Jude Vaclavik as Chief Executive Officer. Acclaimed arts executive and music industry leader to partner with Music Director Teddy Abrams in shaping the Orchestra's next chapter The Louisville Orchestra has appointed Jude Vaclavik as Chief Executive Officer, welcoming an internationally respected arts leader whose career spans music publishing, artist development, education, composition, and nonprofit leadership. Vaclavik joins the Orchestra following leadership roles at Universal Music Group and a distinguished career that has included Houston Grand Opera, Boosey & Hawkes, and The Juilliard School. Following a national search led by the Louisville Orchestra Board of Directors, Vaclavik was selected to partner with Music Director Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra's musicians, board, staff, and supporters to build upon one of the most dynamic periods in the organization's history while advancing its vision for the future. "Jude brings a rare combination of artistic insight, business acumen, and entrepreneurial thinking," said Board Chair Jordan Harris. "As the Louisville Orchestra continues to grow its impact locally and nationally, we were looking for a leader who could build on our historic momentum while staying true to the innovative spirit that has defined this organization for generations. Jude is exactly that leader." "Jude shares in the belief that orchestras can be engines for creativity and community," said Teddy Abrams, Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra. "He brings a remarkable understanding of artists, audiences, and the evolving landscape of our field, along with a genuine passion for helping bold ideas become reality. I'm excited to partner with him as we continue building an orchestra that is creating the future of music from Louisville." The appointment reflects a natural alignment between Vaclavik's career and the Louisville Orchestra's identity as one of America's leading champions of new music. Through its landmark First Edition Recordings project, the Orchestra commissioned and recorded hundreds of works by living composers, helping shape the course of American classical music. Today, that legacy continues through the Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps, recording projects, commissions, and community-based initiatives that position Louisville as a national center for musical innovation. Under Abrams' leadership, the Louisville Orchestra has earned national acclaim for artistic excellence and innovation, including a 2024 Grammy Award for The American Project. The Orchestra recently completed a landmark season marked by record audiences, nineteen sold-out performances, the highest number of sold-out concerts in its history, and continued growth in statewide community engagement through initiatives including In Harmony: The Commonwealth Tour. Most recently, Vaclavik served as Vice President of U.S. Classical Publishing and Promotion at Universal Music Group, where he led one of the fastest-growing classical music publishing businesses in the world. Throughout his career, he has worked alongside leading composers, artists, conductors, and performing arts organizations worldwide, developing new works, cultivating artistic partnerships, and expanding audiences for classical music. Vaclavik emphasized the importance of building relationships across Louisville and continuing the Orchestra's role as a cultural and civic leader throughout the Commonwealth. A composer himself, Vaclavik has received commissions and performances from organizations including the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet Choreographic Institute, The Juilliard School, and leading universities and ensembles across the United States. His experience as both an artist and administrator gives him a unique perspective on the creative and organizational forces that shape the future of the performing arts. "I've admired the Louisville Orchestra for years because it continues to redefine what an orchestra can be," said Vaclavik. "It honors an extraordinary legacy while embracing new ideas, new music, and new ways of serving its community. Few organizations have contributed more to the future of this art form, and I'm honored to help lead its next chapter alongside Teddy, the musicians, board, staff, and supporters who have built such remarkable momentum." The appointment has been enthusiastically welcomed by the Orchestra's musicians. "What stood out to us during the search process was how much Jude understands musicians and our artistic needs," said Louisville Orchestra Musicians Committee Chair Jonathan Mueller. "As a pianist and composer, he has firsthand experience with the creative process and is committed to maintaining artistic excellence. We're looking forward to working together to propel the mission of this community asset." Looking ahead, Vaclavik sees tremendous opportunity for the Louisville Orchestra to deepen its impact both locally and globally. "The opportunities ahead are extraordinary," said Vaclavik. "We will continue bringing world-class artists to Louisville, investing in new music through initiatives like the Creators Corps, and creating experiences that inspire deeper connections with our community. The Louisville Orchestra has earned a national reputation for innovation and artistic excellence, and I look forward to helping share that story with audiences here at home and around the world." About the Louisville Orchestra The Louisville Orchestra was created in 1937 and sprung up in a time of need, just after the great flood and in the wake of the depression. Robert Whitney was invited to conduct the newly established orchestra, known then as the Louisville Philharmonic, and arrived from Chicago that same year. In its formation, the goal was to create a new model for the American symphony orchestra, as it was conceived through an ambitious effort that emphasized innovation through the commissioning, performance, and recording of new works by contemporary composers. The Louisville Orchestra garnered international critical acclaim, became the first orchestra to establish a record label, and cemented a place in history for its contribution to contemporary classical music. In its first two decades, the Louisville Orchestra commissioned/recorded up to 52 new works annually and ultimately created 150 vinyl recordings (LPs) of more than 450 works. The Louisville Orchestra continues to be recognized as a cornerstone of the Louisville performing arts community. Music Director Teddy Abrams has helmed the Louisville Orchestra since 2014, and the Louisville Orchestra has returned to its origins of commissioning new music and recording, having released two albums under the prestigious Decca Gold label. A wide variety of immersive and innovative concert performances and educational programming continue to receive national attention. Recent press coverage includes articles and mentions in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and CBS Sunday Morning. Accolades include three invitations to perform at Carnegie Hall; the Leonard Bernstein Award for Excellence in Educational Programming; the League of American Orchestras 2019 Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service; and 19 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) awards for adventurous programming in use of contemporary music.
Exploring the pain of an ending that's hard to accept, Natasya Sabella releases new single "Juni Nanti" * 2.00 PM * June 25, 2026 Bingkai Karya - Natasya Sabella, the voice behind the viral hit "Menerima Luka," has officially joined Universal Music Indonesia. The talented young singer, known for her emotional and relatable vocal style, is ready to embark on a new chapter in her music career with the release of her latest single, "Juni Nanti." Natasya Sabella gained widespread recognition as the voice behind "Menerima Luka," a song that went viral across social media and has accumulated more than 90 million streams across digital streaming platforms. Through its honest and heartfelt lyrics, the song resonated deeply with listeners, making "Menerima Luka" one of the most relatable tracks for many people and their personal stories. Born in Jakarta on February 20, 2003, Natasya has had a passion for music since childhood. She actively participated in various performances that helped shape her musical identity into what it is today. In 2023, Natasya decided to fully refocus on pursuing a career in the music industry, creating songs inspired by personal experiences and stories that reflect the lives of today's young generation. Her musical journey has continued to grow steadily. In early 2026, she performed in Malaysia as an opening act, expanding her reach to international audiences and further showcasing her potential as one of Indonesia's rising young artists. Now, together with Universal Music Indonesia, Natasya Sabella is ready to introduce her newest work, "Juni Nanti," which is now available on all digital streaming platforms. The song is a pop ballad featuring simple yet poignant lyrics, combined with emotionally charged vocals that cut straight to the heart, making it a perfect companion for listeners navigating emotional moments in their lives. The single also features contributions from several renowned names in the Indonesian music industry. "Juni Nanti" was written by Rendy Pandugo and Ivan Alidiyan, produced by Rendy Pandugo, with vocal directing handled by Barsena Bestandhi. Rendy Pandugo is widely recognized as one of Indonesia's most prominent musicians and songwriters, having created works performed by major artists such as Bernadya, Raisa, Afgan, and many other notable musicians. This collaboration further strengthens the emotional depth conveyed through the song. Through this collaboration, Universal Music Indonesia sees tremendous potential in Natasya Sabella as a young talent with a strong musical identity and a remarkable ability to build emotional connections with her listeners. Moving forward, Natasya will continue to deliver authentic works, created alongside Indonesia's emerging songwriters as well as inspired by her own personal experiences.
Warner Chappell Music taps Julian Franzoni as General Manager for Argentina and Uruguay. June 6, 2026 Warner Chappell Music (WCM) has promoted Julian Franzoni as the new General Manager for Argentina and Uruguay. He reports to Gustavo Menéndez, President, US Latin & Latin America, Warner Chappell Music. In his new role, Franzoni will oversee the company's regional operations and will focus on "driving regional growth and creating new global opportunities for the publisher's growing roster." Franzoni joined WCM in 2016 and rose through the ranks in the A&R team, from consultant to direc... Emmanuel is a Washington, DC-based freelance journalist, blogger and media consultant, specialising in the entertainment business and cultural trends. He was the US editor for British music industry trade publication Music Week. Previously, he was the editor of Impact, a magazine for the music publishing community (2007-2009), the global editor of US trade publication Billboard (2003-2006), and the editor in chief of Billboard's sister publication Music & Media (1997-2003). You may like. Jamen Capital and Merlin partner to acquire Curve Royalty Systems from Universal Music Group. 21 hours ago June 8, 2026 Royalty accounting platform Curve Royalty Systems, which is part of the Downtown Music assets acquired by Universal Music Group earlier this year, will be sold to private investment firm Jamen Capital and digital licensing company Merlin. The sale, the terms of which were not disclosed, was a condition to the European Commission's clearance of UMG's acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings through Virgin Music Group in February of this year. The transaction remains subject to final Euro...