Warner Music’s NFT and AI Chief Oana Ruxandra Resigns

Oana Ruxandra, Warner Music Group’s Chief Digital Officer, has been leading in incorporating cutting-edge technologies including blockchain and AI for the last three years but this week she left the post.

Internal company emails, initially reported by Billboard, reveal that Oana Ruxandra has resigned from her position, and she will soon announce her next career move. 

According to a memo circulated within Warner Music, this departure is on good terms, and there are already plans underway to find a replacement for Ruxandra.

“We’ve… been the first to forge innovative partnerships with a wide, diverse, and thriving network of gaming, Web3, and AI companies,” Ruxandra wrote to her now-former colleagues.

During the time the executive was in charge, Warner Music, known for its prominent music acts such as Cardi B, Ed Sheeran, Madonna, Dua Lipa, and Coldplay, took a proactive approach in encouraging its artists to incorporate technologies like NFTs and AI into their performances and promotions.

Over the past two years, the label initiated pilot programs and formed partnerships with several blockchain-backed companies and projects, including Polygon Labs, NFT marketplace OpenSea, NFT music platform LGND Music, digital fashion startup DressX, and metaverse platform The Sandbox, among others.

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Most of these endeavors aimed to strengthen the connection between music artists and their fanbases, as hinted at by Ruxandra in her departing statement. 

As an example, in August, the rapper Earl Sweatshirt, who is signed with Warner, released a much-anticipated album in the form of NFTs on the decentralized streaming platform Gala Music. 

Those who owned these tracks were eligible to earn reward points, which they could later exchange for unique experiences with the artist.

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