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Spotify Technology SA (NYSE:SPOT) Poaches Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Top Music Curator

Neha Gupta
Updated
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has suffered a big blow as it seeks to become a heavyweight in the music streaming business. Despite commanding huge chunks of money capable keeping rivals at bay, the tech giant has lost one of its top talents, in the name of Carl Cherry, to its fiercest rival Spotify Technology SA (NYSE: SPOT).

While Cheryl defection has not yet been made official, Spotify appears to be his next destination to fill the role left by Tuma Basa who left to join YouTube. Basa had been with Spotify for three years a period in which he oversaw RapCaviar playlist grow to nearly 9 million followers. He also helped Spotify expand its offerings into live events.

As the head of Artist Curation for Hip-Hop and R&B programming at Apple, Mr. Cherry is credited with securing big deals including Chance the Rapper exclusives for Apple Music. He is also credited with building Apple’s A: List Hip-Hop and A-List R&B playlists that have propelled the tech giant up the charts, in the music streaming business. In addition, he is credited with shining the light on a break out artists like Cardi B Post Malone and HER.

Cherry was among the first high profile talents that joined Apple Music team when the tech giant acquired Beats for $3 billion. Prior to that, he had been working as a music journalist featuring in XXL and BET.

Spotify vs. Apple Music

There is a good chance that he will oversee the same role at Spotify as the streaming giant tries to fend off competition posed by Apple among other emerging outlets. Top of the agenda would be pressing for similar exclusives that have made Apple Music a heavyweight in the music streaming business.

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Spotify is in dire need of such talents as it seeks to safeguard and strengthen its edge to keep on growing as a public company. Recruiting the best talent to keep up with the level of competition in the industry, appears to be the company’s latest play.

There is already talk that Spotify will announce significant updates to its music streaming app next week. Some of the updates will seek to improve listeners experience on the app with chatter rife that the company could introduce voice control features.

Apple, on the other hand, appears to be in the middle of a major shakeup as it looks to reinvigorate growth in its music streaming business. It seems that Cherry won’t be the only high profile executive parting ways with the tech giant.

Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine has already seen his role in the music service reduced to that of a consultant. Despite the shakeup, Apple Music appears to be going strong with the shakeup only expected to strengthen it further.

Apple Music has already surpassed the 40 million paid subscribers mark. While its subscription base is still a shadow of Spotify that currently stands at 70 million, the two services are engaged in a stiff competition in pursuit of music lover’s attention.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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