Ex-Spotify Exec Jono Harrison Joins Universal Music Australia

Universal Music Australia recruits Jono Harrison, the former Spotify executive, to lead the music company’s media and audience team.

Announced this week, Harrison is named general manager, media and audience with Universal Music Australia, where he takes duties on how to best reach audiences within the evolving media landscape and maintaining relationships with UMA’s media partners, managers and artists.

“It’s a very exciting time in the music landscape globally, and our ability to define, engage and capture audiences across a rapidly evolving media landscape will ultimately define our success and the success of our artists,” comments Universal Music Australia and New Zealand president and CEO Sean Warner, to whom he reports.

Sean Warner

UMA lands an executive with two decades’ experience with indies, streamers, national broadcasters and more.

Harrison joins the music major following a five-year stint with Spotify ANZ, where, most recently, he served as artist + label partnerships lead.

Also, Harrison was executive producer of Spotify’s award-winning Who Is Daniel Johns? podcast. Before that, he served with Mushroom Group as radio and streaming manager, and with Triple j as the executive producer of Breakfast with Matt and Alex, and triple j’s Like A Version spot.

Adds Warner, “Jono’s experience has spanned nearly 20 years across broadcast, radio, music labels, promotions, artist and label relations and DSPs, and he brings invaluable skills, experience, and relationships to our business, and a ‘new lens’.”

Warner is coming up to his first full-year at the helm of UMA. Boasting 15 years leading the company’s commercial business, both physical and digital, Warner took the top job with effect from Jan. 1, 2023, succeeding longtime leader George Ash.