SoundCloud Ups Tracy Chan to Chief Content Officer

SoundCloud has promoted two staff members — Tracy Chan to chief content officer and Ama Walton to senior vp of music licensing/deputy general counsel — and hired Devi Mahadevia, who joins the company as senior vp of strategy following a stint at Meta, the company tells Billboard.

“Tracy is one of the foremost innovators at the convergence of music and tech, and his new role bringing together all aspects of content on the platform will drive meaningful innovation for artists and fans,” said SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton in a statement. “Ama has pioneered fan-powered royalties deals to bring a new, more transparent model to streaming, and she brings her extraordinary background and expertise to the leadership role of deputy general counsel to help navigate new frontiers for SoundCloud.” 

Seton continued, “Devi is a long-term strategist whose extensive experience with consumer partnerships, product integrations, and corporate development represent a huge asset to the company as we grow and innovate across the business.”

In a separate statement, Mahadevia added, “I look forward to working with the team to forge new paths and uncover opportunities that benefit artists and listeners alike.” She previously oversaw consumer partnerships and product integrations for Meta’s AR and VR initiatives.

The promotions and new hires come during a tumultuous period for SoundCloud, which announced plans to lay off 8% of its workforce in May. “This is a challenging but essential decision to ensure the health of our business and get SoundCloud to profitability this year,” Seton told staff in an email at the time.

That round of layoffs was the second in less than 12 months. SoundCloud had previously announced it would cut “up to 20%” of its staff in August 2022 due to “the challenging economic climate and financial market headwinds.” Michael Weissman, who took over as a CEO in 2020, departed SoundCloud in March. And Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, who served as chief content & marketing officer for roughly two years, left in May.