Suno, the controversial AI music generation company eager to partner with the music industry, has tapped two executives with longstanding ties to the business in VP roles.
The company has hired former Atlantic Records executive Grace James as vice president and head of artist marketing and editorial. In addition, Christian Bowne, former YouTube head of major label business development, will join as Suno’s head of music business development. James will lead Suno’s efforts to market its artists, including those who emerge from its incubator program Spark, while Bowne will be charged with developing its licensing strategy and partnering with the industry.
James previously worked as Atlantic Records’ executive vice president of creative marketing, where she led marketing campaigns for artists including Lizzo, FKA Twigs and Ed Sheeran, and held previous leadership marketing leadership stints at Roc Nation and Tidal. James said in a statement that her career “helping artists break through, connect with audiences and build lasting careers” has helped her see firsthand the struggle artists endure when trying to break out.
“That’s why it was important to me to join a company that genuinely puts artists at the center,” James said. “Suno is already working with artists at every stage, and I’m excited to expand the ways we support them, from helping them create and engage with fans to building sustainable careers.”
Bowne’s YouTube experience saw him focused on licensing and on YouTube’s collection of music products, with a specific goal of incorporating artists’ music into user-generated videos. His work also included the launch of YouTube Shorts.
“I’ve spent nearly two decades helping navigate the evolution of digital music, and I’ve seen how the best technology partnerships create new opportunities for artists, fans and the industry,” Bowne said in a statement. “That’s what excites me about Suno. I’m looking forward to working closely with our partners to build products that expand what’s possible for creatives while creating long-term value for the music ecosystem.”
The hires reflect Suno’s hope for the music industry to be a partner rather than its adversary following years of litigation between the company and several record labels, even if the industry at large remains hesitant. While Warner Music Group settled its lawsuit with Suno last year and plans to back a new model of Suno’s music generator, Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment remain in active litigation with the company.
Most recently, the Atlantic last month published a searchable database that let artists look up which of their songs are helping train AI music generators. SZA then railed against the company on Instagram, alleging Diplo was an investor and claiming it was training its models on “the best and brightest black minds of writers and producers.” Suno declined to comment on the allegation.
Suno announced last month that it raised $400 million at a $5.4 billion valuation, with its pool of investors including “some of the best artists, producers, songwriters and people from across the music industry,“ according to CEO Mikey Shulman.
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