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Apple Music to focus more attention on country music

Apple has announced that 13-year Apple veteran Jay Liepis has relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to head up a team there that will be “dedicated to being more involved with artists, managers, songwriters and the label community at large,” reports Variety. In other words, the tech giant will finally show a bit of love to country music.

Liepis has served as head of U.S. and artist relations at iTunes. Apple will reportedly open an office in Music City, with an eye on closer relations not just with the country music industry but other genres that are increasingly finding a foothold in the city, including rock, pop and hip-hop, as well as the Christian/gospel and Americana communities.

“Jay’s move to Nashville is a reflection of Apple Music’s ongoing investment to our ever-growing and increasingly diverse music community,” Jason Owen, president/CEO of Sandbox Entertainment, which represents Little Big Town and Kelsea Ballerini, told Variety. “It excites me to know that Nashville is a top priority. The expertise that Jay brings from his tenure paired with his long-term relationships with our city makes this move ideal on every level. Plus, he’s an awesome hang.”


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Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.