Variety reports Apple is bringing on public relations veteran Brian Bumbery to serve as Director of Publicity for Apple Music.
Veteran public relations strategist Brian Bumbery – who has worked closely with Metallica, Green Day, Chris Cornell and Madonna and spent eight years at Warner Bros. Records, before launching his own BB Gun Press firm in 2011 — has joined Apple as Director, Apple Music Publicity. Variety has learned. BB Gun will continue under the leadership of Luke Burland, Bumbery’s former WBR colleague, who joined the firm in 2016 along with clients Fergie, Meghan Trainor, Shania Twain and Josh Groban, among others.
The move comes in the context of a larger transition at Apple Music, as former head Jimmy Iovine recently completed his move to a consulting role this month.
While Iovine isn’t leaving Apple Music completely, he is taking a step back from his former day-to-day involvement with the service.
The Variety report notes that Bumbery’s BB Gun Press, particularly longtime associate Sam Citron, has been working with Apple Music for “several months.”
The report also makes mention that Apple Music is “on track to overtake global market leader Spotify in the U.S. within the next few months.” However, a July report from Digital Music News said Apple Music’s United States subscriber numbers have already surpassed Spotify’s U.S. subscriber count.