Cindy Charles, Twitch's Head of Music, has passed away at 69 following a traffic accident in the Netherlands while attending the Amsterdam Dance Event. Her husband, Ricky Fishman, confirmed her passing.

Charles was a pioneering force in digital music licensing, most notably establishing Twitch's DJ category as the first legal livestreaming platform for DJs through comprehensive licensing deals with major labels and Merlin-represented independent labels.

Twitch CEO Daniel Clancy praised Charles' contributions, noting that "anyone who uses music on Twitch owes a debt of gratitude to Cindy's work." Her career highlights include:

• Appointed Twitch Head of Music in April 2022
• Led partnerships and operations at Twitch since 2018
• Previously headed Business Development for Amazon Tickets
• Served as Senior VP and general counsel at MediaNet (2002-2010)
• VP of law and business affairs at Viacom (1995-2002)
• Managed digital legal affairs for MTV Networks divisions

A Queens, New York native, Charles earned her political science degree from SUNY Buffalo before obtaining her juris doctor from Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. She served on the Recording Academy's Board of Governors and is survived by her husband Ricky Fishman, son Ben Charles, and stepson Sam Fishman.

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