According to 9to5Mac, Ole Obermann, who was appointed co-lead of Apple Music in May 2024, has been confirmed as a speaker at Web Summit 2025 in Lisbon. The event runs from November 10 to 13, 2025, following Apple’s pattern of sending executives to the conference after Sarah Herrlinger spoke in 2024 and Craig Federighi in 2021. Obermann joined Apple just a few months ago after spending six years as Global Head of Music Business Development and IP Rights at ByteDance. His career also includes leadership roles at Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. His current role oversees Apple Music’s portfolio including Shazam, Platoon, label partnerships, and new business initiatives. No details are available yet about his specific session topic, but it’s expected to cover Apple’s music industry relationships.
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Obermann’s interesting background
Here’s the thing about Obermann’s appointment that really stands out – he’s coming straight from ByteDance, the company behind TikTok. That’s six years deep in the platform that’s completely reshaped how younger generations discover and consume music. And now he’s running one of the biggest music streaming services? That’s a pretty significant shift in perspective for Apple Music.
What we might hear
Given his background, I’d bet we’re going to hear something about how Apple plans to compete in the short-form video music discovery space. TikTok has completely dominated that arena, and every streaming service has been playing catch-up. Obermann probably knows all the weaknesses in TikTok’s music strategy – and exactly how Apple might exploit them. Will we see deeper integration between Apple Music and whatever Apple’s planning for video? Seems likely.
The bigger picture for Apple Music
Apple Music has been playing second fiddle to Spotify for years now, despite having all of Apple’s ecosystem advantages. Bringing in someone from outside the traditional music industry – and from a company that actually understands modern content consumption – feels like a deliberate move. They’re not just looking for someone who knows label politics; they want someone who gets how music actually travels through culture today. The Web Summit session might give us our first real glimpse into whether this hire will actually shift Apple Music’s trajectory.
Why this matters beyond streaming
Look, music streaming is basically the gateway drug to Apple’s ecosystem. Get someone hooked on Apple Music, and they’re more likely to stick with iPhone, maybe grab some AirPods, consider an Apple Watch. It’s all connected. So when Apple brings in fresh leadership with experience from the company that’s currently setting musical trends globally? That tells you they’re not messing around. This could be the start of Apple taking music discovery much more seriously – and potentially changing how we all find new music in the process.
