Director, Marketing and Artist Development

Santa Monica, CA (On-site)

$72K/yr – $150K/yrDirector/Executive10+ years expFull time

Posted 11 days ago

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Job Summary

Own and lead end-to-end artist marketing and product strategy, coordinating cross-functional campaigns from planning to execution across artists, releases, and related initiatives.

  • Lead end-to-end artist campaigns and strategic planning
  • Develop data-informed plans with DSPs and leadership

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Lead product management and marketing strategy for priority artists and releases, including singles, EPs, albums, video content, merchandise, D2C initiatives, live events, and other music-related products.
  • Develop and execute marketing, creative, advertising, and artist development plans in partnership with artists, managers, label teams, DSPs, and internal stakeholders.
  • Serve as a key liaison between artist management, label partners, and internal teams, ensuring clear communication and alignment across all phases of a campaign.
  • Build a deep understanding of each artist’s goals, creative vision, audience, and management processes to support effective long-term planning.
  • Develop artist branding and growth strategies across key verticals, including superfans, creative direction, A&R alignment, digital marketing, content, cultural positioning, and fan acquisition.
  • Partner with digital strategy teams to build data-informed plans, evaluate campaign performance, and recommend pivots based on audience behavior, ROI, and market insights.
  • Identify DSP, digital marketing, and emerging platform opportunities that drive artist relevance, engagement, brand awareness, and audience growth.
  • Manage project budgets and ensure resources are aligned with campaign goals and priorities.
  • Lead day-to-day project management across artist campaigns, DSP initiatives, internal programs, and special projects, ensuring clear timelines, deliverables, agendas, follow-ups, and accountability.
  • Drive operational clarity across the creative marketing team by establishing priorities, owners, next steps, and communication flows that keep projects moving efficiently.

Requirements

  • 10+ years of experience in music marketing, artist product management, label operations, artist development, digital marketing, or a related role within the music or entertainment industry.
  • Proven track record leading artist release campaigns across music, video, merchandise, live events, digital marketing, DSP strategy, fan engagement, audience development, and artist branding.
  • Strong understanding of DSPs, digital platforms, fan acquisition, emerging music discovery channels, campaign performance, and data-informed marketing strategy.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage complex cross-functional projects involving artists, managers, label teams, creative teams, digital strategists, DSP partners, third parties, and executive leadership.
  • Strong operational mindset with experience building scalable processes, workflows, templates, team systems, timelines, budgets, and accountability structures.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize information clearly for internal, external, and executive audiences.
  • Strong leadership presence, emotional intelligence, and ability to drive accountability while maintaining a collaborative, creative team culture.
  • Ability to balance creative instincts with business goals, data insights, timelines, budgets, and evolving priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Highly organized, proactive, solutions-oriented, and passionate about music, artist development, culture, fan communities, and innovative marketing.
  • Consistent and punctual in-office attendance to support the company’s collaborative and creative culture, mentorship, effective discussions, and team meetings.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Including 100% coverage for out-patient in-network mental health services
  • Fertility coverage for eligible medical plan participants
  • Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
  • Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
  • 401(k) with 100% immediate vesting on the first 5% of your contributions, plus an additional UMG contribution
  • A variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including:
  • Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
  • 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
  • 2-weeks paid Winter Break

Universal Music Group

3.7 Glassdoor

Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. Featuring the most comprehensive catalog of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. Universal Music Group's labels include A&M Records, Astralwerks, Blue Note Records, Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville, Caroline, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, EMI Records Nashville, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Harvest, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Label Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. UMG's catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). UMG also includes Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry's premier music publishing operations worldwide and Bravado, the leading provider of consumer, lifestyle and branding services to recording artists and entertainment brands around the world. Universal Music Group is a Vivendi company. Find out more at: http://www.universalmusic.com.View our current career opportunities at: http://www.umusiccareers.com

Founded in 1934
Santa Monica, California, USA
19K employees (8,504 in marketing)
65% recommend to a friend
74% CEO approval

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
352.6K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
55.2%
Direct
34%
Referral
6.9%
Social
3.5%
Paid
0.4%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~18.7K

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
2,960 (16% of company)
Marketing Roles Posted (Last 30 Days)
13

Funding

Total Funding
$8.6B
Last Raise
Post IPO Debt, 3 years ago

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