Cane announced the move on Tuesday (October 20), after more than five decades at BMI.
She will step down as BMI‘s VP of Worldwide Creative but has agreed to remain with the company in an advisory role, working directly with CEO Mike O’Neill.
Cane began working at BMI part-time in 1970, while she was still in high school.
She started in the company’s Song Research department, before holding creative roles including General Manager of the Los Angeles office and Vice President of Creative in New York, Los Angeles, and London.
In those roles, Cane directed creative activities for BMI‘s Pop, Rock, and Indie teams.
She worked with BMI President’s Award recipients Adam Levine, P!nk, and Dan Reynolds & Imagine Dragons.
Among the BMI Icons she worked with are Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Carole King, David Foster, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and Barry Manilow.
“Through every chapter of my journey, I have come to understand that creativity is not simply a profession; it is the heart of who songwriters are and the force that moves our industry forward.”
Barbara Cane
“After more than five decades, BMI is not simply where I have built my career – it is part of who I am,” said Cane. “It gave me the opportunity to grow, to discover, and, most importantly, to uncover the soul within the songwriter.
“Through every chapter of my journey,” Cane added, “I have come to understand that creativity is not simply a profession; it is the heart of who songwriters are and the force that moves our industry forward.
“What has made this journey so meaningful is that my own values remain deeply aligned with those of BMI – to believe in creators, to nurture their gifts, and to create an environment in which their careers can flourish. After fifty years, that purpose still lives in my heart – and it is why this work has never felt simply like a career, but like a calling.”
“Barbara is one of the first people I met when I joined BMI almost 32 years ago, and her kindness, caring nature and warm welcome showed me exactly why she is so loved by so many in our industry,” said O’Neill. “She has demonstrated that same care and attention time and again to the many songwriters she worked with, nurtured and supported, and it’s why her relationships in this industry have endured.
“While Barbara and I started out as colleagues, we’ve ended up as family, and I don’t know many who can say that about the people they work with. The beautiful thing for me is that Barbara has agreed to continue working with me as an advisor, allowing BMI and our writers to still have her insight and counsel, while also allowing her to enjoy some time away from us for the first time in fifty years.”
“Barbara is one of the first people I met when I joined BMI almost 32 years ago, and her kindness, caring nature and warm welcome showed me exactly why she is so loved by so many in our industry.”
Mike O’Neill
O’Neill, who has led BMI since 2013, had his contract as President and CEO extended through December 31, 2029 in June 2025.
Her move to an advisory role also follows a run of personnel changes at BMI.
In November 2025, the company promoted eight members of its Creative team.
In January 2026, it namedTodd Horvath its President and Chief Operating Officer, reporting to O’Neill, while Pam Schoenfeld was named Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer.
Mike Steinberg, BMI‘s EVP and Chief Revenue and Creative Officer, said: “When it comes to inspiring and elevating songwriters, Barbara is in a league of her own. Her innate gift for seeing in songwriters what they often could not yet see in themselves has left an indelible mark on the lives and careers of so many creators.
“She exemplifies what it means to be a mentor, advocate and champion for our creative community,” Steinberg added. “I have been incredibly fortunate to call her one of my dearest friends, a treasured colleague and a once-in-a-lifetime teacher.
“Barbara’s contributions to BMI, our affiliates and our creative community are quite simply immeasurable, and her enduring influence and legacy will continue to be felt through the songs, stories and songwriters whose journeys she has helped shape for generations to come.”
“She exemplifies what it means to be a mentor, advocate and champion for our creative community.”
Mike Steinberg
Cane was named one of Billboard‘s Top Women in Music in 2011 and 2024, and received the National Music Publishers’ Association‘s Lifetime Service Award in 2019.
In 2013, she helped establish the Songwriters Hall of Fame‘s Master Speaker series with the USC Thornton School of Music‘s undergraduate Popular Music Degree program.
BMI operates under the ownership of investment firm New Mountain Capital, which completed its acquisition of the US performing rights organization in February 2024.Music Business Worldwide
