LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Independent music publisher Kobalt announced the promotion of Derek Cournoyer to the role of Senior Vice President of Global Digital.
In his newly expanded role, Cournoyer will oversee negotiating strategic partnerships with key content partners, including YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, as well as emerging tech in Web3 and A.I.
Cournoyer first joined Kobalt in 2011 as a part of the company’s sync department. After a hiatus with at the social singing app Smule, he returned to Kobalt in 2019 as Senior Director, Synch & Business Development.
“As a tech-forward music company, it is crucial that our songwriters are protected and are positioned to earn income from emerging technologies,” said Bob Bruderman, Chief Digital Officer at Kobalt. “Derek has played a vital role in forging innovative deals with new partners while ensuring that we have strong relationships with the major digital services and platforms. I am pleased to be able to recognize his contributions by expanding his role at Kobalt.”
“I’m incredibly grateful to Bob, Laurent Hubert, and Jeannette Perez for fostering a culture of innovation and for their trust in me to help push our mission forward,” said Cournoyer. “We’re at a turning point in the music industry as AI transforms the landscape and micro-licensing opens up powerful new pathways for the creator economy. Kobalt is not just adapting to this moment – we’re built for it. With one of the most sophisticated metadata infrastructures in the business, we’re positioned to license music smarter, faster, and more strategically. I’m proud to be part of a team that’s not just responding to change but leading it – and redefining what’s possible for music publishing in the digital age.”
