Pandora hires legal expert for role in podcast content partnerships

Pandora is continuing to give podcasts a more visible role in its audio platform. The company has hired Lindsay Bowen as its vice president of podcasts and entertainment content partnerships. In this position, Bowen will serve as a liaison between sales, product, finance, legal, and external partners for the podcast space. He will also have a hand in determining business models for deals and collaborating with Pandora’s curation and programming teams.

He joins Pandora from a role as partner at Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, where he was active in representing and advising podcasters. He has also participated in litigation against illegal music platforms such as LimeWire, MP3tunes, and Grooveshark.

“We are very happy to welcome Lindsay aboard,” said Elizabeth Moody, Pandora’s VP of global content licensing. “His background of advising podcasters on overall strategy and negotiating a wide variety of audio and entertainment agreements is perfect for his role at Pandora as the leader for podcast and non-music acquisitions.”

“I’m excited to join the team at Pandora – I’ve been involved in the industry as an advisor for some time, but this role gets me out of the coaches’ box and onto the court,” Bowen said. “As a podcast nerd, I’m also excited that with its upcoming podcast launch, Pandora is already meeting major industry challenges by solving discovery, deepening its strong relationships with brands, and providing a best-in-class experience for a listener base that is as large as the entire current podcast audience. By applying what it does so well with in music to other forms of content, Pandora will be a major player in audio.”

Anna Washenko