One of TikTok’s top music executives, Paul Hourican, is leaving his position at the ByteDance-owned app.
Hourican, Global Head of Music Operations at TikTok, announced the news on Thursday (February 22) in an email to staff and partners, obtained by MBW.
Hourican’s confirmation came on the same day that TikTok’s Add To Music App feature rolled out in another 163 countries, meaning it will now be available virtually everywhere that TikTok itself is available.
The feature, which allows users to save songs they discover on the platform to the music streaming service of their choice, launched in the US and UK last November. It was expanded to another 19 countries, including Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Canada, in December.
Hourican was promoted to Global Head of Music Operations at TikTok in 2022.
The London-based exec joined the business in November 2019 as Head of Music Operations, UK & EU.
Prior to joining TikTok, Hourican worked as the Head of International Artist Marketing at YouTube, in New York, between 2017 and 2019.
He was a Music Curation Lead at the platform prior to that, between 2015 and 2017.
Before he worked at YouTube, Hourican was the Head of Talent and Music at MTV UK in London.
“He added: “I started back in 2019 when the rocket ship they call TikTok was truly beginning to take off and it’s basically been a runaway train since then.”
Paul Hourican
In his confirmation on Thursday, Hourican said: “After four and a half amazing years and with a lifetime’s worth of memories and achievements in the bag, I have made the decision to move on from TikTok and I’m excited about what the future holds”.
He added: “I started back in 2019 when the rocket ship they call TikTok was truly beginning to take off and it’s basically been a runaway train since then.
“Joining a small but mighty team covering the UK and parts of EU to building up and running music operations for Europe through to Global and then the creation of Artist Services, it’s been quite the journey, at times arduous and tiring but always fun and always underpinned with a collective passion to attract the best teammates in the business and to build an Artist Ecosystem through supporting Artists and their Art.
“I’ve learned so much and got to work with such amazing people at one of the most innovative and exciting platforms the music business has ever seen.”
You can read Hourican’s note in full below:
After four and a half amazing years and with a lifetime’s worth of memories and achievements in the bag, I have made the decision to move on from TikTok and I’m excited about what the future holds.
I started back in 2019 when the rocket ship they call TikTok was truly beginning to take off and it’s basically been a runaway train since then.
Joining a small but mighty team covering the UK and parts of EU to building up and running music operations for Europe through to Global and then the creation of Artist Services, it’s been quite the journey, at times arduous and tiring but always fun and always underpinned with a collective passion to attract the best teammates in the business and to build an Artist Ecosystem through supporting Artists and their Art.
I’ve learned so much and got to work with such amazing people at one of the most innovative and exciting platforms the music business has ever seen.
There are genuinely too many personal highlights to process and mention, but to share a couple that immediately spring to mind.
* The opportunity to work with and create genuine impact for so many artists and their music on the daily, from superstars to emerging talent, has been incredible and not to be taken for granted.
* Helping to take SoundOn from a sketch on a whiteboard to full product launch (and naming it on the way 🙂
* Placing TikTok at the heart of music and pop culture with some incredible activations, partnerships, award winning projects right through to the record-breaking TikTok In The Mix in Arizona at the end of last year.
* All the amazing friends and partners I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years, thank you for the continued trust and collaboration.
* Last but not least – the incredible people of TikTok (past and present) that I’ve had the privilege to work with, manage and help grow within the business – to see the work they have created and the passion they pour into your jobs will forever be a constant source of inspiration.
Keep enjoying what you do and see you very soon
Paul.Music Business Worldwide
