Director, Catalog Marketing (Urban)

Universal Music Group is seeking an experienced Director, Catalog Marketing (Urban) to drive long-term product and campaign strategy for artists across the IGA roster, focusing on Urban (Hip-Hop/R&B) catalog. This role involves partnering with various departments to build integrated, culturally fluent marketing strategies that resonate with both legacy and new audiences. The ideal candidate will leverage deep music history knowledge, strategic marketing, cultural awareness, and data-driven thinking to strengthen artist legacies and tap into emerging discovery behaviors and platform trends.

Must Have

• Develop and execute innovative catalog marketing strategies for Urban (Hip-Hop/R&B) artists.
• Identify opportunities to pull forward catalog moments that resonate with today’s youth.
• Build long-tail strategies that strengthen artist legacy and tap into emerging trends.
• Bring strong creative instincts and a modern marketing mindset.
• Develop big ideas, tentpole moments, viral concepts, and culturally relevant activations.
• Stay deeply connected to cultural trends, especially TikTok and youth-driven behavior.
• Recognize viral patterns early and develop strategies to enhance or originate viral catalog moments.
• Tap into all research and data sources to validate opportunities and inform strategy.
• Understand frontline release cycles and their influence on catalog moments.
• Collaborate with Catalog and Core Label teams and Artist Management.
• Guide and oversee the creation of all marketing materials and original content.
• Regularly interface with artists and management for alignment.
• Analyze streaming, sales, radio, and social performance to adjust strategies.
• 6+ years’ experience as a Marketing Director and/or Product Manager in music.
• Strong experience in Urban (Hip-Hop/R&B) and comprehensive knowledge across all genres.
• Deep passion for music history, catalog storytelling, and cultural evolution.
• Strong ability to define and drive strategy, execution, timelines, and cross-functional coordination.
• Creative thinker with ability to generate fresh, innovative marketing ideas.
• Strong understanding of DSP behavior and trends (Spotify, Apple, SoundCloud, YouTube).
• Deep familiarity with social platforms and content trends, especially TikTok.
• Excellent communication, writing, presentation, and cross-functional relationship skills.
• Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Nielsen analytics.
• Bachelor’s Degree.

Perks & Benefits

• Be part of an entrepreneurial, global organization that values authenticity, drive, creativity, relationships, and a competitive spirit
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA options
• 100% coverage for out-patient mental health services
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
• A lifetime fertility support allowance of $30,000 to plan participants
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
• 100% immediately vested 401(k) match on the first 5% of your contribution on eligible compensation
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
• 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
• 2-weeks paid Winter Break
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.

How We LEAD

We are currently seeking an experienced Director, Catalog Marketing who will drive the long-term product and campaign strategy for multiple artists and projects across the IGA roster, with specific focus on Urban (Hip-Hop/R&B) catalog while maintaining fluency across all genres. This leader will partner closely with the Department Head and all departments within IGA (A&R, Revenue, Creative, Digital, PR, Radio) to build and execute fully integrated, progressive, and culturally fluent marketing strategies that resonate with both legacy audiences and the next generation of fans.

The ideal candidate brings deep understanding of music history, especially Hip-Hop and R&B, paired with a strategic, forward-thinking marketing mind, strong cultural awareness, trend fluency, and the maturity to bridge legacy artistry with modern audience behavior. This person blends creative instinct, data-driven thinking, operational discipline, and cross-functional collaboration—always keeping artist brand integrity, fan experience, and long-term impact at the center.

How You’ll CREATE

Urban + Multi-Genre Catalog Strategy

• Develop and execute innovative catalog marketing strategies for Urban (Hip-Hop/R&B) artists while applying equal expertise across all genres.
• Identify opportunities to pull forward catalog moments that resonate with today’s youth—balancing cultural nostalgia with modern relevance.
• Build long-tail strategies that strengthen artist legacy while tapping into emerging discovery behavior, cultural moments, and platform trends.

Creative Ideation & Cultural Fluency

• Bring strong creative instincts and a modern marketing mindset—someone who sees possibilities, not limitations.
• Develop big ideas, tentpole moments, viral concepts, and culturally relevant activations that stretch across platforms and audience groups.
• Ensure ideas honor the artist’s legacy while making them meaningful and exciting for new generations.

Trend Awareness & Viral Opportunities

• Stay deeply connected to cultural trends—especially TikTok, social audio moments, memes, and youth-driven behavior.
• Recognize viral patterns early and develop strategies to enhance, accelerate, or originate viral catalog moments.
• Bring forward new ideas using remixes, edits, challenges, influencers, and micro-moments that leverage platform algorithms.

Research, Data, and Insights Integration

• Tap into all research and data sources—internal insights, data analytics, consumer behavior, streaming patterns, social sentiment, and cultural research.
• Use data to validate opportunities, uncover blind spots, and inform go-forward strategy.
• Ensure the team utilizes internal tools, processes, and cross-functional expertise to maximize performance and efficiency.

Frontline + Catalog Alignment

• Understand frontline release cycles and how they influence catalog moments.
• Work across current genres and frontline teams to ensure that catalog strategy complements and enhances artist development across the roster.
• Seamlessly bridge catalog and frontline marketing—ensuring holistic, year-round artist narratives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Catalog and Core Label teams including Marketing, A&R, Digital, Creative, International, Commercial, Revenue, and Artist Management to support priority Urban and multi-genre catalog projects.
• Maintain proactive, clear communication with all stakeholders—deadlines must be met, and alignment must be constant across all moving parts.
• Serve as a key partner to Artist Management, ensuring that campaigns support artist brand integrity and long-term vision.

Execution, Analysis & Optimization

• Guide and oversee the creation of all marketing materials and original content for campaigns.
• Regularly interface with artists and management to ensure alignment on all aspects of release plans and catalog marketing strategy.
• Analyze streaming, sales, radio, and social performance to adjust strategies in real time.
• Use audience insights to optimize rollouts, messaging, formats, and content across channels.

Bring Your VIBE

• 6+ years’ experience as a Marketing Director and/or Product Manager in music
• Strong experience in Urban (Hip-Hop/R&B) while holding comprehensive knowledge across all genres
• Deep passion for music history, catalog storytelling, and cultural evolution—whether lived, learned, or actively pursuing
• Strong ability to define and drive strategy, execution, timelines, and cross-functional coordination
• Creative thinker with the ability to generate fresh, innovative marketing ideas rooted in culture
• Strong understanding of DSP behavior and trends (Spotify, Apple, SoundCloud, YouTube)
• Deep familiarity with social platforms and content trends, especially TikTok
• Excellent communication, writing, presentation, and cross-functional relationship skills
• Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Nielsen analytics (SoundScan, Mediabase)
• Bachelor’s Degree

Perks Playlist:

• Be part of an entrepreneurial, global organization that values authenticity, drive, creativity, relationships, and a competitive spirit
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA options, as well as:
• 100% coverage for out-patient mental health services
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
• A lifetime fertility support allowance of $30,000 to plan participants
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
• 100% immediately vested 401(k) match on the first 5% of your contribution on eligible compensation
• Variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including:
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
• 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
• 2-weeks paid Winter Break
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

Check out our full overview of benefits on the Perks Playlist page

of the career site.

Disclaimer: This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change.

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an E-Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.

For more information, please click on the following links.

E-Verify Participation Poster:

English / Spanish

E-Verify Right to Work Poster:

English

|

Spanish

Job Category:

Marketing, Streaming & Digital Media