Apple Music nabs former Spotify exec to work with indie labels

Apple has hired a former Spotify executive to work with smaller, independent labels.

Steve Savoca joined Apple Music in January after five years as Spotify’s Vice President of Content.

When he joined Spotify back in 2011, Savoca became one of the Swedish firm’s first American employees. He served as global head of label relations, and also oversaw artist marketing and promotion. Prior to that, he was head of digital at Domino Records.

Savoca will now head up label relations for Apple with a focus on indie labels — particularly those overseas, according to Business Insider. He will be based out of New York.

Apple Music is still substantially smaller than Spotify, but it has been trying to compete by offering exclusive tracks and albums and other content that its rivals do not have. Apple has previously stated it wants to do more than just match Spotify’s song catalog.

Back in December, Apple Music content chief Larry Jackson said Apple Music aims to be “something that’s the intersection of all things pop-culture… I like to think of it as a place where the best creative thinkers in music can congregate and come up with different ideas.”

Joining forces with indie labels that might not be available on other music streaming service is certainly one way of executing that vision.