Lyor Cohen is a veteran music executive who got his start in the mid-’80s, first as Run DMC’s road manager before moving over to the Def Jam label. By the time he came to SXSW 2018, he had risen to become YouTube and Google's Global Head of Music. In his SXSW Keynote, he promoted a bright future for the music industry and emphasizing the importance of building artist relationships and embracing change, namely new technology.