Create Music Group has appointed Mitchell Shymansky as Chief Data & Technology Officer, the company announced on Wednesday (February 11).
Shymansky will oversee CMG’s data, analytics, and technology strategy, with a focus on “building scalable, intelligent systems that enhance artist outcomes, operational efficiency, and long-term platform advantage”.
Shymansky joins Los Angeles-based CMG following nearly two decades at Universal Music Group, where he most recently led the company’s Global Data & Analytics organization and reported directly to the company’s Chief Operating Officer.
According to Wednesday’s announcement, during his tenure at UMG, Shymansky was responsible for “architecting and scaling Universal Music Group’s modern data and analytics infrastructure, leading the organization’s transformation from legacy, on-premise systems designed for physical-era reporting to a cloud-native platform capable of multi-petabyte data processing and advanced analytics”.
The press release added that “as part of this evolution, Shymansky oversaw the development and launch of Universal Music Artists, a first-of-its-kind analytics application for artists at a major record label, and ultimately assumed responsibility for Universal Music Group’s global portfolio of data products” and that “his work was instrumental in driving the adoption of data-driven decision-making across commercial, marketing, and artist-facing functions.”
In “recognition of his leadership and impact on the digital music ecosystem,” Shymansky received the Billboard Jay Frank Award in 2020.
Create noted that in recent years, Shymansky “played a central role in applying artificial intelligence and automation to analytics and marketing workflows at Universal Music Group, partnering closely with Google to integrate AI-driven capabilities into the company’s global toolset.”
In parallel, the announcement continued, he “built and led an in-house strategic analytics team that supported DSP deal analysis and materially influenced the company’s global music licensing strategy”.
The high-profile appointment marks the latest in a series of announcements for Create Music Group, and follows its $300 million deal last week with Vancouver-headquartered indie Nettwerk Music Group.
Also, last week, it was revealed that CMG entered into a “multi-million dollar” joint venture label called dai + drm with Romel Murphy, manager of AI musician Xania Monet.
In 2024, Create Music Group was valued at $1 billion following a $165 million investment round, led by Flexpoint Ford.
Since that raise, Create Music Group has been on an acquisition tear. Amongst other deals, it’s acquired Germany’s !K7 while striking catalog buyouts with the likes of Pack Records and Deadmau5.
“Mitch has helped define what modern, data-driven music companies look like at the highest level. His arrival marks a major step forward in how we scale, innovate, and empower artists and labels globally.”
Jonathan Strauss, Create Music Group
“We’ve always believed the music companies of the future would be built on technology,” said Jonathan Strauss, Co-Founder and CEO of Create Music Group.
“Mitch has helped define what modern, data-driven music companies look like at the highest level. His arrival marks a major step forward in how we scale, innovate, and empower artists and labels globally.”
“Create Music Group has repeatedly demonstrated that it knows how to harness new technology to unlock advantages for artists and entrepreneurs.”
Mitchell Shymansky
Shymansky said: “I was fortunate to work at Universal Music Group during the industry’s transition from a transactional model to streaming, and to help the world’s largest music company successfully adapt and thrive in that shift.
“The industry is now entering another fundamental transition as AI reshapes how modern record labels operate.”
Shymansky added: “Create Music Group has repeatedly demonstrated that it knows how to harness new technology to unlock advantages for artists and entrepreneurs.
“I’m excited to join Jonathan and Alex at this pivotal moment, and to ensure that CMG’s platform—combining technology, capital, and marketing services—is at the forefront of the AI and agentic revolution empowering the next generation of music entrepreneurs.”Music Business Worldwide