NEW YORK, USA // Waleed is the Director and Global Head of Recorded Music Business Development for YouTube. Waleed oversees YouTube’s global recorded music business where he is responsible for generating business opportunities for the three global major record labels, as well as Vevo and all independent, DIY and non-standard recorded music labels, distributors and aggregators.
In addition to deal making, he is responsible for maintaining these recorded music partnerships and helping partners optimize their revenues on the world’s largest on-demand video platform, utilizing the twin engines of advertising and subscription revenues, as well as new and developing business lines like YouTube Shorts and Creator Music.
Waleed’s work has enabled YouTube to launch YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium in over 100 countries globally, adding a premium paid option to YouTube’sbest-in-class ad-supported business. More recently he oversaw label licensing efforts for YouTube’s recently launched short form video offering, YouTube Shorts.
Waleed also serves as an executive sponsor for the Google Pride@ ERG’s NYC Chapter. As an executive sponsor of the chapter, he ensures the ERG’s goal of engaging all LGBTQ+ senior leaders (Director+) in NYC and encouraging involvement in LGBTQ+ initiatives by Googlers of all levels.
Before his current role, Waleed spent 5 years on the Global Music Legal team at Google where he was most recently Senior Counsel for music across Google products and services, including YouTube and Google Play Music. In that role he handled a wide array of music legal matters, including negotiating, drafting and advising on legal risk with respect to record labels, music publishers, music collection societies and artist/ talent issues. In addition, he set legal policies and guidelines for a broad range of music and music-related initiatives.
Before joining Google in 2011, Waleed spent 6 years at Viacom, Inc. in the Business & Legal Affairs department. At Viacom, Waleed served as Senior Counsel for Music Strategy and Relations at MTV Networks, where he worked on music, television production and general entertainment transactions relating to MTV Networks’ many powerful brands, including MTV, CMT, VH1, Comedy Central, Spike and a variety of other Viacom properties.
Waleed has been recognized as one of Billboard’s “40 Under 40” power players in 2016. Waleed currently serves on the board of directors for Education Through Music, a non-profit organization that places music programs in underprivileged schools in New York and throughout the country. Waleed is a 2004 graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and 2001 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park.