Leadership Changes at Tiktok
In the music team of Tiktok/Bytedance, there has been a significant shakeup in leadership.
After five and a half years as the head of musical business development at Baedance, Ole Obermann will leave the company next month for a new opportunity in the music sector.
Following Obermann’s departure at the end of March, Tracy Gardner will become the new global leader in the development of musical business at BYTEDANCE.
In an internal note sent to Tiktok employees today (February 18), which MBW received, Obermann expressed, “I am proud to have played a role in attracting many people to the joy of music on Tiktok.” He added, “We have an amazing team, and leadership and music will continue to thrive and evolve on Tiktok.”
The pressing question for the music business today is: Where will Obermann go after leaving the company next month?
Tiktok has declined to comment, but sources indicate that he has built a significant role at Apple Music, likely involving business development.
Introducing the New Global Head
Tiktok’s new global head of musical business development, Tracy Gardner, joined the platform and its parent company in November 2019 as the head of label licensing and partnerships.
Previously, she served as senior vice president of global business development and strategy at Warner Music Group.
The news of Gardner’s appointment at Tiktok came shortly after it was confirmed that Obermann had officially joined the platform as vice president of global music.
It was later confirmed that Obermann’s role expanded to become the global leader in music business and IP development at Bytedance.
Before joining Tiktok/Bytedance, Obermann held various senior digital roles at Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.
Tiktok’s Growing Influence
Meanwhile, Tiktok asserts that it has “strengthened its position as the global platform for music discovery” under Obermann’s leadership.
The platform reports that its global reach has grown to 170 billion daily videos featuring licensed music, with users generating over 45 billion videos in 2023 that utilized licensed tracks. Tiktok claims these metrics position it as having “the largest music interaction worldwide.
A significant milestone during Obermann’s tenure was the return of Universal Music Group’s recorded music and publishing catalogs to the platform, following a licensing dispute that saw UMG remove its music from Tiktok in early 2022.
In May 2024, Universal and Tiktok finalized a new licensing agreement, which includes “enhanced compensation” for UMG artists and songwriters, along with a commitment to developing artificial intelligence tools.
Obermann is also credited with securing a unique agreement described as “the first of its kind,” with Taylor Swift to showcase her catalog on Tiktok in support of her album and tour, Midnights.
In recent months, Tiktok has collaborated with various other superstars, including Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Jimin from BTS, and Post Malone. Under Obermann’s leadership, the platform has also promoted several emerging artists.
A music app integration was also launched during Obermann’s tenure, leading to over a billion tracks saved across partnered DSPs (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and Melon).
You can read the full internal note from Ole Obermann below:
Music is one of the greatest joys of life, and Tiktok has enabled fans to connect with their favorite songs and artists in ways never before possible. Tiktok has unlocked new and creative opportunities to interact with music, allowing both new and classic songs to be discovered, shared, and embraced by new audiences.
I believe the best way to say goodbye is to reflect on my five and a half years at Tiktok through the music that has united me and our billions of users for years.
- I joined Tiktok in 2019. The music revolution really began this year with Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road exploding onto the global stage.
- In 2020, we witnessed incredible growth with 176 songs achieving 1 billion views. The song that I grew up with, Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, had a monumental moment on Tiktok.
- In 2021, dance challenges became a phenomenon. Pascal Lebutlin’s Friendship, which reached over 2 billion views, became synonymous with the Moonwalk and Shuffle dance moves.
- In 2022, I Caught The Vibe became a hit, but the alternative version on Tiktok further popularized the original song.
- In 2023, UK artist Raye became a Tiktok sensation with her song Escapism, and Tube Girl became a viral sensation with her track.
- 2024 was the year of Brat and Dare, with Charlie XCX dominating popular culture.
- 2025 has just begun, but Lola Young is already leading the race for song of the year…
We leave behind what has become woven into the lives of others. I take pride in having contributed to bringing joy through music while at Tiktok. We have an incredible team, and the leadership of music will continue to thrive and evolve on Tiktok.
Thank you all for your support, and I wish you continued success at Tiktok.
Ole Obermann leaving TikTok for major role at Apple; Tracy Gardner moves into new role at ByteDance
