The former Spotify executive will work across UMG’s global business, bringing experience in music discovery, recommendation and personalised listening.
Universal Music Group has appointed Òscar Celma as Senior Vice President, Applied AI and Machine Learning. Reporting to Chief Data Officer Hannah Poferl, he will help develop and apply the technology across the company’s labels and divisions.
Celma previously led engineering teams behind listening experiences at Spotify, including AI DJ, Jam and Daylist. He has also held senior roles in machine learning and music recommendation at Pandora/SiriusXM and Gracenote, and most recently led machine learning and product analytics at Condé Nast.
Celma said:
“I’ve spent much of my career exploring how technology can serve artists, songwriters and music fans.
He added that he aims to advance UMG’s AI capabilities “to support human artistry.”
The appointment brings music discovery expertise inside a major rights holder. UMG has not announced specific products or projects tied to Celma’s role; the question now is how that expertise will be used across its artist and label operations.