TikTok's Director of Music for Australia and NZ, Ollie Wards, to Leave Role After Five Years.
Ollie Wards, a well-respected figure in the Australian music industry, has announced that he will be departing from his role as director of music for TikTok in Australia and New Zealand after serving the platform since August 2020. In a heartfelt message on LinkedIn, Wards expressed his gratitude for an "awesome" five-and-a-half years at the company.
Wards joined TikTok with the aim of driving its music strategy, overseeing emerging and established artists within the short-video streaming giant's creator community, and working closely with domestic talent to take them to a global audience. Prior to joining TikTok, he held various roles at triple j, an Australian national youth broadcaster, including producer, program director, and network head.
The news of Wards' departure has been met with admiration from the music industry and fans alike, who praise his artist-first approach and commitment to promoting domestic talent globally. During his time at TikTok, Wards was instrumental in launching several innovative initiatives, such as the world's first TikTok radio station with iHeart, which now operates as Australia's leading digital station for under-30s.
Some of his proudest achievements include creating the first TikTok x TV simulcast concerts and overseeing numerous high-quality live music productions. One notable example is the first-ever TikTok stadium livestream with Six60 during a time when NZ was the only place hosting concerts due to lockdown restrictions.
Wards has also been credited with producing memorable performances at the TikTok Awards and developing "liner notes," a list of 11 guiding principles aimed at promoting transparency, effectiveness, and humanity within the music platform. Notably, his approach emphasizes being contactable while operating at scale, which he believes helped humanize TikTok's music offerings in an increasingly opaque industry.
Wards has expressed openness about his future plans, stating that he will be keeping his options open for 2026.
Ollie Wards, a well-respected figure in the Australian music industry, has announced that he will be departing from his role as director of music for TikTok in Australia and New Zealand after serving the platform since August 2020. In a heartfelt message on LinkedIn, Wards expressed his gratitude for an "awesome" five-and-a-half years at the company.
Wards joined TikTok with the aim of driving its music strategy, overseeing emerging and established artists within the short-video streaming giant's creator community, and working closely with domestic talent to take them to a global audience. Prior to joining TikTok, he held various roles at triple j, an Australian national youth broadcaster, including producer, program director, and network head.
The news of Wards' departure has been met with admiration from the music industry and fans alike, who praise his artist-first approach and commitment to promoting domestic talent globally. During his time at TikTok, Wards was instrumental in launching several innovative initiatives, such as the world's first TikTok radio station with iHeart, which now operates as Australia's leading digital station for under-30s.
Some of his proudest achievements include creating the first TikTok x TV simulcast concerts and overseeing numerous high-quality live music productions. One notable example is the first-ever TikTok stadium livestream with Six60 during a time when NZ was the only place hosting concerts due to lockdown restrictions.
Wards has also been credited with producing memorable performances at the TikTok Awards and developing "liner notes," a list of 11 guiding principles aimed at promoting transparency, effectiveness, and humanity within the music platform. Notably, his approach emphasizes being contactable while operating at scale, which he believes helped humanize TikTok's music offerings in an increasingly opaque industry.
Wards has expressed openness about his future plans, stating that he will be keeping his options open for 2026.
gotta feel a little sad to see ol' Ollie go from tiktok 
. five-and-a-half years is a pretty good run, especially considering the music industry can be super competitive and ever-changing. i think what's awesome about ollie's approach is that he's always been focused on supporting local talent and helping them reach a global audience 
. his initiatives like the tiktok radio station and those liner notes have made a real difference in how the platform approaches music, especially when it comes to being more transparent and human 
. i'm curious to see what ollie has planned for 2026 - hope he stays involved with the music community somehow 
. I mean, who else can say they launched the world's first TikTok radio station? That's genius! 
. I'm gonna miss him around there. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what he does next 
. The fact that he was instrumental in creating a radio station for under-30s is, like, super cool! 
I also loved watching those TikTok x TV simulcast concerts - they were always lit 
. It's not surprising fans are gonna miss him tho 
. Fingers crossed he'll stay involved in music somehow 
i'm gonna miss his artist-first approach, he was all about promoting aussie talent globally 
like that first tiktok stadium livestream with six60 
during lockdown restrictions 
his liner notes were also super inspiring 
promoting transparency, effectiveness & humanity in the music industry is so important 
Ollie Wards is like a superhero for the Aussie music scene 
! He came into TikTok with some big shoes to fill but totally smashed it in just five years 
. I mean, who else can say they created the world's first TikTok radio station and a stadium livestream that went viral? 
. I mean, who wouldn't wanna work with the guy who launched a radio station just for under-30s? That's some innovative thinking 
. Anyway, wish him all the best for 2026 
. Ollie Wards has been a huge part of the music scene in Australia and NZ for so long, and it's awesome that he got to leave his mark on TikTok. The thing that really gets me is how much he prioritized Aussie artists and creators – it's not often you see someone with that kind of dedication 
. I'm also loving the idea of "liner notes" – transparency in the music industry can be really tricky, but if anyone could make it work, it was Ollie 
?
And what about the liner notes?!?! They were like a breath of fresh air in this crazy industry! 
But you know what's even more sad? The fact that he's leaving at the perfect time - TikTok is literally growing and changing so fast, it's hard to keep up! 
I'm kinda hoping he stays around for 2026 tho... his last minute plans are still a mystery lol 
hopefully someone else picks up the torch 
. I mean, who needs transparency and humanity in the music industry when you can have a bunch of vague principles? Sounds like his approach was pretty successful for TikTok, but I'm sure it'll be interesting to see what he does next. Hopefully, someone who's actually good at making decisions will come in and not mess things up 
.
. His artist-first approach was always on point, and I love how he humanized the platform with his "liner notes" – it's about time someone brought some heart back to music streaming! 
his "liner notes" were so refreshing too, kinda like a breath of fresh air in the industry. hope olly finds what he's looking for next year 
. His dedication to showcasing local talent and innovative initiatives has been 
. Now he's off exploring new opportunities, I'm curious to see what's next for him 
!
! five-and-a-half years at TikTok was no joke, especially driving music strategy in Aus & NZ. his artist-first approach and promotion of local talent are major wins 
. I'm also loving the fact that he initiated those epic simulcast concerts 
. Seriously though, his legacy will live on, I'm sure. Wish him all the best for 2026 and beyond! 
. I'm curious to know what's next for him though