Jen Jacobsen Joins Artist Rights Alliance As Executive Director
Music industry veteran Jen Jacobsen has been named Executive Director at The Artist Rights Alliance (ARA), an artist-run, non-profit that helps musicians navigate the ever-changing creative economy.
In her new position, Jacobsen will work with ARA’s artist-led Board to amplify the voice of music creators in the ongoing effort to protect artists and their work in today’s music marketplace.
A lifelong musician and performer, Jacobsen has over 25 years of experience in the music and copyright policy arena, including positions as Vice President, Industry & Government Relations at Sony Music Entertainment; Vice President, Global Public Policy at Time Warner, Inc.; and Director of Public Policy at AOL. She has worked to forge strategic partnerships across the music community and has helped lead state and federal policy initiatives that impact creators—from copyright protection to free speech to music licensing reform.
Jacobsen recently served as the Executive Director for Kid Pan Alley, a non-profit that teaches songwriting workshops in schools. She is a member of the D.C. Advisory Council for Musicians on Call and a graduate of the Nashville-based Leadership Music program. Jacobsen is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law.
“Jen Jacobsen is a strong, experienced leader who radiates energy and love of music and the arts,” says ARA Board Member Rosanne Cash. “Her dynamic presence will help ARA continue to stand up for artists and bring people together on important issues impacting our community. ARA has always stood for common sense, transparency, and equity for working creators, and we know Jen will carry on that tradition.”
“As the music industry grapples with issues that could fundamentally change the landscape for artists and songwriters, ARA’s work has never been more vital,” Jacobsen says. “I am honored to have been selected for this role by ARA’s Board—an inspiring group of working musicians, songwriters, and executives with decades of experience on the front lines of the music business. And I am committed to helping artists and songwriters get a seat at the table as the future of the creative economy is charted.”
