Direct-to-fan music platform EVEN has appointed Lauren Wirtzer as Chief Operating Officer.
Wirtzer previously held senior roles at SoundCloud, UnitedMasters and Instagram over a 20-year career in music and technology.
At EVEN, Wirtzer will oversee operations, partnerships and expansion, the company said Thursday (October 9).
Wirtzer’s experience spans major platforms and artists. She spent two years as Chief Content and Marketing Officer at SoundCloud, running artist relations and brand partnerships while the company pushed its fan-powered royalty model. Before that, she was President at UnitedMasters, where she helped grow the platform to more than 1 million artists and struck a partnership with TikTok.
“From the surprise launch of Beyoncé’s visual album to building UnitedMasters’ independent infrastructure and evolving SoundCloud’s artist-first strategy, she’s consistently been ahead of where music is going.”
Mag Rodriguez, EVEN
At Instagram, Wirtzer led music partnerships, working with artists including Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga to connect them with the platform’s billion-plus users. She also spent a decade at Def Jam and worked as head of digital at Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé’s company, where she helped facilitate the surprise 2013 release of Beyoncé’s self-titled visual album. The release became the fastest-selling album in iTunes history at the time.
Wirtzer has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business and appeared on Billboard‘s Power 100 and Women in Music lists. She previously served as chair of the Music Business Association board.
Mag Rodriguez, founder and CEO of EVEN, said: “Lauren’s career is defined by uncompromising artist advocacy.
“From the surprise launch of Beyoncé’s visual album to building UnitedMasters’ independent infrastructure and evolving SoundCloud’s artist-first strategy, she’s consistently been ahead of where music is going. Her operational rigor and strategic vision are exactly what EVEN needs as we scale direct-to-fan infrastructure globally.”
Wirtzer added: “Throughout my entire career, I’ve believed that artists deserve ownership, access, and the ability to thrive on their own terms.
“EVEN is creating a parallel economy by giving artists daily payouts, direct fan relationships, and ownership of their data. I’m thrilled to join Mag and the team to scale this vision globally and help artists at every level build sustainable careers.”
“EVEN is creating a parallel economy by giving artists daily payouts, direct fan relationships, and ownership of their data. I’m thrilled to join Mag and the team to scale this vision globally.”
Lauren Wirtzer, EVEN
The New York-headquartered company, which launched in April last year, says that over 500,000 artists across 3,000+ labels and distributors in more than 110 countries now have access to its platform, supporting over 30 payment methods and 140 currencies.
EVEN also asserts it’s the only ‘superfan platform’ to report sales to Luminate for Billboard chart eligibility.
Its user base includes acts like J. Cole, 6LACK, Chance the Rapper, Mt. Joy and LaRussell. EVEN says some artists generate two to three times their streaming income per release through the platform.
EVEN recently signed distribution deals with Too Lost and Secretly, giving it access to “hundreds of thousands” of artists.
EVEN operates on a model that lets fans pay for music before it reaches Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms. Artists can set pay-what-you-want pricing, and the company says fans pay an average of more than $20 per release. The platform supports over 30 payment methods across 140 currencies.
Music Business Worldwide
