HOW I GOT HERE Sulinna Ong

Head of music at Spotify UK and Ireland Sulinna Ong reflects on her career working for the world’s biggest music streaming platform

Sulinna Ong describes music as one of the ‘great loves of her life’, and after studying it at university in Australia, she moved to London, aged 25, and started work as a marketing assistant for Sony Music Entertainment. She helped to promote Jennifer Lopez and Destiny’s Child, then joined the events promoter Live Nation and worked on the tours of artists including Madonna and The Rolling Stones. Two years ago, she started a new role at Spotify, where she supports emerging talent and artists including Stormzy and Dua Lipa, her connection to music remains as powerful as it has always been: ‘I listen to music all the time; when I’m cooking, in the bath or tidying. The only time I’m not listening to music is when I’m asleep! At the moment, I love Celeste and Michael Kiwanuka.’

I WAS BORN IN WEST YORKSHIRE, BUT I HAD A NOMADIC CHILDHOOD. My dad worked in the hotel industry, so we moved from country to country, before eventually settling in Australia. Whenever I felt like an outsider, which was often, listening to bands such as Nirvana and Sonic Youth was a great comfort to me, as well as a form of escape.

BY THE TIME I WAS A TEENAGER, I KNEW I WANTED TO MAKE A LIFE OUT OF MUSIC. I played guitar and thought about being a musician first. But my parents were right when they said to me: ‘Darling, you’re not that talented.’ They reminded me that I was smart, though, so I began to think about what else I could make a living from within the industry.

I STUDIED MUSIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY. My first job was a runner for a local concert promoter, doing anything and everything, from coffee runs to getting the artists ready. Then, when I turned 25, I moved back to London, with only £1,000 in the bank. It was tough; I was lonely and I cried almost every evening, but I knew London was the place to be for music.

EVENTUALLY, I GOT A JOB AT SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT AS A MARKETING ASSISTANT AND, WITHIN TWO YEARS, I PROGRESSED TO INTERNATIONAL MARKETING MANAGER. I was responsible for growing the careers of artists including Jennifer Lopez and Dido, and got to travel all over the world. My favourite place was Japan; the Japanese are superb hosts and took such great care of me and the artists. Afterwards, I moved to the entertainment company Live Nation, where I worked on the deals and tours of bigger artists, such as Madonna and The Rolling Stones. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine meeting artists who I’d had on my bedroom wall as a teenager.

BEING OFFERED THE POSITION AS HEAD OF MUSIC AT SPOTIFY UK AND IRELAND IN APRIL 2019 WAS A DREAM COME TRUE. My role spans curating the perfect playlists to marketing an artist’s new album; from liaising with record labels to programming the Spotify app with the most engaging music content. I love helping people find music that moves them, or reminds them of when they were a teenager. My team is also one of the most diverse in the industry, with a strong representation of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals, which I’m really proud of.

I’VE LEARNED IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO STEP AWAY FROM MUSIC ONCE IN A WHILE. I listen to music all the time at home, so professional and personal boundaries can blur easily. When I need a break, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Rodney, and my cats, or playing video games; it stops my mind thinking about anything else.

MUSIC HAS BEEN CRUCIAL DURING THE PANDEMIC. It helps people deal with loneliness, bring back happy memories and make emotional connections to others, when physical connections aren’t available. People look to music to reflect their mood or to accompany a task at hand and we see this in the popularity of Spotify playlists such as Home Workout, Your Kitchen Stereo and Summer In The Garden.

LIFE ISN’T A MERITOCRACY. In my 20s, I had this grand vision of how I thought my career was going to play out, but life doesn’t work that way. I’ve had many peaks and troughs. We all have failures, but these teach you how to handle the success that comes later. Visit spotify.com

‘I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE FIND MUSIC THAT MOVES THEM’