Joe Aboud is a music executive at the intersection of artist development, marketing, and commerce. His music consultancy firm – 444 Sounds – oversees strategy & promotion for clients including record labels, distributors, artist managers, as well as both signed & independent artists. Here, he works with clients like Warner Records/Major Recordings, Concord Music Group, Sony Music, UnitedMasters, Brianna Mazzola, Cash Cash, Anees, and Tank God, among others to provide additional customized services for results-driven artist growth. In addition to an artist management arm, the company delivers marketing solutions for artists & records, with an emphasis on fan community building. It’s believed that the angel numbers 444 are messages from the universe that offer insight and directionality and they are woven into the company fabric as indicators of positive things to come.
Aboud most recently led marketing and streaming for independent label HITCO, working with artists such as 2x GRAMMY Award-Winner SAINt JHN, Jennifer Lopez, Dixie D’Amelio, and the Dalai Lama (yes, you read that correctly). He went on to manage HITCO’s catalog and guided the label through its acquisition by Concord Music Group. As Vice President, he built and managed best-in-class relationships with DSP partners such as Spotify, Apple, Amazon, YouTube, Pandora, SoundCloud, TIDAL, and more to create effective streaming campaigns that drove label revenue. He also led music strategy for digital platforms TikTok, Triller, and Snapchat, including top-tier creator activations and events. He oversaw partnerships with brands to align content & influencer integrations, including Amazon Prime, Puma, Hulu, Hollister, Valentino & more.
He previously worked at Atlantic Records for more than three years, managing marketing campaigns including Joel Corry’s “Head & Heart”, which recently joined Spotify’s elite “Billions Club”. While at Atlantic, he facilitated marketing plans for GRAMMY-Award winning & nominated projects including Elderbrook and Anitta, as well as multi-platinum artists Clean Bandit, Skrillex, David Guetta, Cash Cash and more. In the early days of Apple Music, Aboud worked at the streaming service on the Artist & Label Relations team where he developed internal tools, policies, and best practices for its launch. He directly verified and educated 5,000+ artists, managers, and labels worldwide on Apple Music’s workflows and maintained 200+ artist/management relationships, including resolving in-app issues & supporting requests.
Joe is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of New York University with a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Media, Culture, and Communications. As a Research Assistant at the university, he co-created a NYU Stern Entertainment, Media & Technology course alongside the Executive Program Director. Since 2016, he has been a Board Member of GenerationJOY at the Joyful Heart Foundation whose mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever. He is also an Advisory Board Member for Musicians on Call and has been an NYU alumni mentor for the program he graduated from as he is dedicated to fostering the next generation of executives eager to work in the music business.
