YouTube global music chief Lyor Cohen at SXSW. (Photo: Sean Mathis / Getty Images)

NPR’s in-depth profile of YouTube music chief Lyor Cohen as company parent Google switches to a new framework for recorded tunes is revealing of a man who has waged battle at many an industry front, and now finds himself facing further skirmish. The NPR article includes a video link to Cohen’s recent SXSW presentation.

The company recently announced it will launch the new services YouTube Music and YouTube Music Premium, but it remains to be seen whether consumers who have been indulging in a free music buffet will spring for the $9.99 to $11.99 per month for original music content and fewer advertisements.

After a lengthy career in hip hop that included a run as head of Warner Music Group’s Def Jam subsidiary, Cohen was hired by Google in 2016 to strengthen YouTube’s ties to major labels and secure favorable deal terms.

Forbes helpfully provides an analysis of Google’s new music plan. Both are worth checking out.

For more background on Cohen, check out Billboard’s 2016 appointment story.