Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood joins SoundCloud as Chief Content and Marketing Officer

SoundCloud has appointed Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood as Chief Content and Marketing Officer.

Reporting to Michael Weissman, CEO of SoundCloud, the music and technology executive will guide the company’s artist development, industry relations, and brand marketing strategies.

Wirtzer-Seawood will join SoundCloud on June 1, 2021 with her appointment following the hire of former Warner Music Group exec Eliah Seton as President of SoundCloud, effective May 1, 2021.

She will report directly to SoundCloud CEO, Michael Weissman.

Most recently, Wirtzer-Seawood served as President of independent music distribution platform UnitedMasters, which recently landed a $50m Series B investment led by Apple.

In her new role as Chief Content and Marketing Officer at SoundCloud, the company says that she will be responsible for artist development and marketing, encompassing artist management and promotion, editorial programming, creative, brand marketing and communications.

Prior to UnitedMasters, Wirtzer-Seawood was the Head of Music Partnerships at Instagram, where she led a team responsible for enabling artists to connect with fans via Instagram’s suite of tools. There, she worked on initiatives for artists such as Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga.

Wirtzer-Seawood also served as the Head of Digital at Beyoncé’s entertainment and management company, Parkwood Entertainment, where she was instrumental in the surprise launch of the singer’s self-titled visual album.

Wirtzer-Seawood’s career spans positions at Zynga where she implemented entertainment, brand, and celebrity partnerships and at Def Jam Enterprise managing brands and artists, as well as developed and incorporated content marketing across digital platforms.

A 20-year music industry veteran, Wirtzer-Seawood serves as the Chair of the board of the Music Business Association (MusicBiz) and has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business and featured on Billboard’s Power 100 and Women in Music.

Additionally, SoundCloud says that Senior Vice President, Marketing, Anthony Gabriele, will take on a new, expanded role to lead SoundCloud’s consumer-facing business and products, including soundcloud.com and the SoundCloud app.

Michael Weissman, SoundCloud

“Lauren’s impressive background spanning labels, social media, and artist services is unique in the industry.”

Michael Weissman 

Michael Weissman said: “Lauren’s impressive background spanning labels, social media, and artist services is unique in the industry.

“She is known for pioneering strategies and building teams that utilize music and tech to connect artists and fans — enabling artists to stay independent while building long-term, successful careers in music.

“I’m excited to welcome Lauren to SoundCloud and partner with her to further strengthen SoundCloud’s unique position and relevance between artists and fans around the world.”

“My career has been defined by my passion for empowering artists to maximize their potential in the ever-changing digital world.”

Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood

Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood said: “My career has been defined by my passion for empowering artists to maximize their potential in the ever-changing digital world.

“I’m proud to join Mike and the SoundCloud team as it redefines how artists, particularly those who are independent, grow and thrive in the modern music industry and how the next generation of fans experience music and entertainment.”

 Music Business Worldwide