TikTok's Head of Music Ole Obermann, who led the platform's music strategy during its significant growth period, is reportedly departing to join Apple Music. During his six-year tenure, Obermann established a reputation for tough negotiations with IP owners and faced criticism for being unfavorable to creators.

Tracy Gardner, currently serving as Head of Label Licensing & Partnerships, will succeed Obermann as ByteDance's Global Head of Music Business Development. Gardner brings valuable experience from her previous role as Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at Warner Music Group.

Obermann's leadership was marked by several controversial decisions, including:

• Low royalty payments leading to the UMG licensing dispute
• Refusing collective bargaining with independent Merlin members
• Implementing a divide-and-conquer strategy among music industry stakeholders

The UMG licensing dispute resolution was notably influenced by Taylor Swift's independent decision to return her music to TikTok before her latest album release, The Tortured Poets Department. Swift's move, made without UMG executives' knowledge, created a significant shift in the negotiations, as she owns her recording and songwriting rights despite being part of UMG's roster.

Regarding the UMG dispute, Obermann had stated, "There was obviously a value conversation... about payments and marketing promotion to help with the discovery of new music or artists. We were wrestling over that, and we ultimately got there."

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