Warner Music Group’s Chief Digital Officer has spent the past three years leading the major label’s embrace of emerging technologies, including blockchain and AI. But this week she left the post.
Oana Ruxandra has resigned and will soon announce her next move, according to internal company emails first reported by Billboard. According to a memo circulating within Warner Music, the split is amicable and plans are already in the works for Ruxandra’s successor.
“We have been the first to form innovative partnerships with a broad, diverse and thriving network of gaming, Web3 and AI companies,” Ruxandra wrote to her now former colleagues. “I believe with all my heart that the future of our industry lies in the dynamic relationship between artist and fan, and the incredible explosion of creative and commercial opportunities that interplay creates.”
During the executive’s tenure, Warner Music – home to leading music acts like Cardi B, Ed Sheeran, Madonna, Dua Lipa and Coldplay – has aggressively pushed to encourage its artists to incorporate technologies like NFTs and AI into their acts and promotions . Over the past two years, the label has launched pilot programs and signed partnerships with numerous blockchain-backed companies and projects, including Polygon LabsNFT marketplace Open seaNFT music platform LGND musicdigital fashion startup DressXand metaverse platform The sandpitamong other things.
Most of these initiatives were aimed at forging closer ties between music artists and their fan bases, as Ruxandra alluded to in her parting words. In August, for example, Warner signed rapper Earl Sweatshirt debuted with a long-rumored album as a collection of NFTs on the decentralized streaming platform Gala Music. Owners of those songs could collect reward points that could be redeemed for live experiences with the artist, including being featured in one of his music videos, FaceTiming with him or meeting him in person – to smoke a joint.
While the reasons behind it Ruxandra’s departure is still unknown, but the shake-up is unlikely to signal a change in the central role of technologies like NFTs and AI in Warner’s current business strategy.
The label’s CEO, former YouTube Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl, has built a reputation as a fierce advocate for emerging technologies. When Warner Music spared all blockchain and AI-related roles during a round of corporate layoffs in March, a source close to the matter said told Declutter that embracing cutting-edge technology will now be as important to Kyncl as it is to the executive at YouTube, where he spearheaded the expansion of the video platform’s creator ecosystem and was known for championing technological experimentation and innovation.
A spokesperson for Warner Music declined to comment for this story.