JJ Corsini and Chris Hovsepian Join Universal Music in Global Artist Development Roles

October 2024 · 5 minute read

Universal Music Group today announced that JJ Corsini and Chris Hovsepian (pictured above, right and left, respectively) each have been named Senior Vice President, Artist Development, effective Wed., May 1. They join from Apple Music, where they served as key members of the company’s Global Artist Relations team since the launch of the streaming service.

According to the announcement, the pair will leverage their experience in music programming, non-traditional marketing and global streaming platforms to work alongside UMG’s repertoire sources in more than 60 countries to develop and coordinate long-term development strategies for UMG artists at all stages of their careers. They will be based at UMG’s global headquarters in Santa Monica and report to Andrew Kronfeld, Executive Vice President of Marketing.

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In making the announcement, UMG Chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge said, “To maximize the global success of our artists at every stage of their careers and capitalize on the worldwide growth in music consumption, we are committed to building the most progressive and innovative global artist development team the industry has ever seen. I’m pleased to welcome JJ and Chris, who bring with them a strong track record for developing impactful narratives around artists that particularly resonate in streaming and social context.”

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Kronfeld said, “I have admired the success that JJ and Chris have had at developing innovative strategies for artists on Apple Music and I’m thrilled to have them join our global team. At UMG, we have consistently demonstrated that a global hit can be in any language and come from anywhere in the world.”

“Artist development is the most critical, yet overlooked and underserved process, in the music industry,” Corsini said. “Investing time and resources into artist development requires commitment and an understanding that patience and a common goal are the most core elements of growth.”

“UMG shares our vision of embracing quality over quantity and our commitment to enhancing and executing the artist’s vision,” Hovsepian said. “Quick wins may be more frequent than ever, but the artists who take time to build a foundation are the ones who will have long careers.”

At Apple Music, Corsini and Hovsepian were key members of Apple Music’s global Artist Relations team, where they helped create and program Apple Music’s global new artist initiative “Up Next,” which has featured UMG artists including Billie Eilish and Juice WRLD, as well as program select playlists and Beats 1 shows including Zane Lowe’s program and “Best of The Week.”

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