Jocelyn Lee is the VP of Platform Partnerships & Business Development at SoundCloud, where she leads global partnerships that drive fan growth and engagement, and elevate SoundCloud’s position as the go-to destination for music discovery and connection.
With a career spanning consumer tech, media, and financial services, Jocelyn thrives on working across a wide range of deals, from distribution to marketing and hybrid commercial partnerships. Her breadth of experience, informed by her work in diverse industries, enables her to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving and decision-making. She is inspired by working with underrepresented founders and is passionate about driving more inclusive ecosystems within tech and media.
Given your diverse industry background, how do you leverage your experience across consumer tech, media, and financial services to drive innovation in music discovery and fan engagement?
My experience across consumer tech, media, and financial services has equipped me with a broad toolkit for driving innovation in music discovery and fan engagement at SoundCloud. A key theme I’ve carried with me is the importance of building habit-forming experiences and brand affinity to foster long-term engagement.
Early in my BD career at Mint (RIP Mint!), I led an API partnership with Zillow to integrate the ‘add your home’ feature into Mint’s personal finance app. This encouraged a large portion of our audience to return more frequently and explore other features. We apply a similar mindset at SoundCloud, aiming to make music discovery a consistent and meaningful part of our users’ lives.
In the financial services space, I also learned the value of strategic partnerships targeting specific segments. At American Express, I worked on a collaboration with the luxury travel startup, Inspirato, creating a unique embedded membership perk for premium Cardmembers. At SoundCloud, we pursue partnerships with brands that resonate with Gen Z music lovers. These collaborations deepen our connection with fans and enhance their overall experience.
In your role, you work on a variety of partnerships from distribution to marketing. What criteria do you prioritize when evaluating potential partnerships that align with SoundCloud’s goals?
Audience reach and overlap: One of the first things I look for is the potential to tap into new audiences, especially our core demo Gen Z. We focus on partners with complementary audiences—whether through shared user bases, platforms, or cultures—so we can drive meaningful user acquisition and engagement.
Innovation and Strategic Alignment: At SoundCloud, where we’re the home of emerging artists and music genres, I look for partnerships that not only bring innovative user experiences or unique distribution channels but also complement our mission to make music discovery and connection as seamless as possible. We thrive on staying ahead of trends in the digital music space, and the right partner can help us push the envelope, whether through creative product integrations (like our “Add to Music App” partnership with TikTok) content collaborations, or enhancing the role music plays in their lives.
Cultural Fit: I do consider the cultural fit between SoundCloud and our potential partners. We place a high value on authenticity, inclusivity, and diversity, and I look for partners who share these values. Ultimately, I’ve found that partnerships built on shared principles are more sustainable and impactful.
With the evolving landscape of digital music platforms, how do you see SoundCloud positioning itself uniquely in the market in the next few years?
With over 400 million tracks on our platform—significantly more than traditional DSPs, which typically offer around 100 million tracks—SoundCloud has cultivated a dynamic, two-sided platform where fans and creators come together to discover, share, and engage with music. It’s a place where microgenres evolve into global movements, and SoundCloud serves as the breeding ground for emerging artists.
Looking ahead, we’re building on this foundation by helping fans not only find (and obsess over) the music they love but also support the artists behind it. We’re making it easier for fans to express themselves through music, seamlessly integrating it into every part of their lives, across the various platforms they spend time on.
