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Another senior digital exec stands down at Universal
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 2 March 2015
Another senior digital executive is leaving Universal Music, this time David Ring, a long-term digital specialist at the mega-major, most recently Executive VP Of Business Development & Affairs.
Confirming his departure in a note to industry contacts, Ring wrote last week: “It has been my sincere privilege to have had the chance to help UMG and its talented labels and artists navigate the massive changes required to transition from the CD business to the exhilarating digital business of today and tomorrow”.
Ring’s departure follows that of one of Universal’s most high profile digital execs, Rob Wells, and is likely part of an overhaul of the major’s top digital team in the US, with some tipping a bigger role for Michael Lang, a former movie industry man who has been consulting for the music company since last year.
But hey, people, what does this all mean?
If you think it’s a sign Universal overlord Lucian Grainge is easing out all the freemium fans on his team before withdrawing his catalogues from free-to-access digital services, press one now. If you think all of Universal’s digital execs are jumping ship to join their former colleague Jimmy Iovine over at the tower of cash that is Apple Inc, press two now. And if you reckon Wells and his team are working on a new smoothie-delivery-service app based out of San Francisco, press three now.
The latter plan’s probably the most bankable.
