Larry Jackson, Apple Music's Chief Content Officer, spoke on a podcast about his role at Apple, his insights into the industry and what it means to be "the connector to culture."
Jackson, who was already a senior executive at Beats before the company was bought by Apple in 2014, participated in the podcast "The Boardroom: Out of Office".
During the show, the Apple Music executive spoke extensively about his past in the music industry, including working with Clive Davis (founded by Arista Records), meeting Jimmy Iovine to work on Interscope and Beats, and attempting to making Dre's Beats headphones. enter Target and Best Buy.
As for Apple, Jackson talked in detail about how he developed and executed the concept of bringing the battles of Verzuz to Apple Music.
An interesting version of the collaboration between battles is that Jackson initially tried to contact Instagram to tell them about the possibility of collaborating… but didn't get a warm response.
"I reached out to Instagram and they didn't seem the least bit interested in the subject, to be honest," Jackson says. Eventually, Jackson reached out and worked with Twitter's Jack Dorsey to bring a live social component to the series on Apple Music.
In addition to Verzuz, Jackson also talks about his early days at Apple. For example, he remembers his first meetings with Eddie Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President, and how he once went to Steve Jobs' house shortly before he died - and remembers "the immense sadness of that day."
Larry Jackson also talks about how Steve Jobs helped Iovine grow Beats and why at first he couldn't believe Apple had an interest in the company. "I had serious doubts that Apple really wanted us… everyone plays poker so well in this world, so I never thought it would happen," says Jackson.
Jackson recounts how Beats Music served as the "car chassis" Apple needed to build its streaming service. Specifically, how he worked with data specialist Adam Bly to create an algorithm that Beats Music would use to personalize his recommendations.
Applying some of the "philosophical" approach that Bly was bringing to the algorithm, Jackson says the team was able to produce a system that "knows you ... better than you know yourself".
The Apple Music executive also talked about how the company approaches creative initiatives differently. At one point in the podcast, host Kleiman notes that Apple Music appears to have "a record-label proximity" to artists that is not common on music distribution platforms.
"If you drive and have to drive through a landscape where everything looks the same, you have to offer something that sets you apart from the people in the house across the street," says Jackson. Some of these creative decisions include genre playlists like "Rap Life" and projects with Lil Wayne.
Larry Jackson's interview is long, but it's worth it for anyone interested in learning more about the music industry or streaming music market.
You can listen to it or download it on Apple Podcast here.
