UMG Brings in Spotify's AI Architect to Lead Machine Learning Push

Universal Music Group isn't sleeping on the AI wave. The label giant just brought Òscar Celma into the fold as Senior VP of Applied AI and Machine Learning — a major signal that the industry's biggest player is getting serious about machine learning's role in music.

Celma's resume is heavy. He helped build Spotify's AI DJ feature, which means he knows how algorithms move product and shape listening habits. That's exactly the kind of expertise UMG needs as the music business gets tangled up in artificial intelligence — whether we're talking discovery tools, production, or the thornier questions about how AI trains on music.

The hire puts Celma under Hannah Poferl, UMG's Chief Data Officer, which signals this isn't some isolated tech experiment. This is infrastructure. UMG's basically saying: we're not just reacting to AI, we're building it in-house.

The real question is what UMG does with this. Does it make better tools for artists? Sharper streaming algorithms? Or does it tighten the label's grip on data and discovery? Either way, the majors are moving fast, and this is them putting their money where their mouth is.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide → https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/universal-music-group-appoints-oscar-celma-who-helped-lead-development-of-spotifys-ai-dj-as-svp-of-applied-ai-and-machine-learning/