8/28/2026

Joe Hadley Courtesy Spotify

Spotify has promoted Joe Hadley to vp of global music content and partnerships, where he will now run both the music editorial and partnerships teams. Along with the move, J.J. Italiano will also become head of editorial, which encompasses global music curation, North American editorial and the company’s overall editorial strategy.

“Editorial is a key part of bringing an essential human touch to Spotify,” Charlie Hellman, senior vp and global head of music at Spotify, said in a statement. “The team’s judgment and taste is what fans and artists rely on. Joe’s capable leadership will keep artist advocacy at the center of our work and bring even more impact to the programming we do.”

Within the last 12 months, Spotify has seen major changes within its leadership structure. Last September, the company’s founder, Daniel Ek, announced that he was transitioning from his role as CEO to executive chairman. Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, who had been co-presidents, stepped in as co-CEOs of the company. Both Söderström and Norström report to Ek. Additionally, global head of editorial Sulinna Ong left to take a role on U2’s management team.

On Aug. 11, Spotify announced the company’s plans to label AI artists on the platform with an “AI Persona” badge. Artists who are tagged with the label will be excluded from personalized recommendations on the streaming service.

In April, Spotify held its Investors Day presentation, where the company announced a licensing deal with Universal Music Group for AI remixes on the streaming platform. (On Aug. 4, Merlin also signed a licensing agreement for the same tool.) Their Investors Day conference also saw the announcement of Spotify Reserved, a service in partnership with Live Nation that allows fans a chance to purchase tickets to see their favorite artists perform.

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