New York-based Zigazoo has hired former Billboard exec Joe Kelley to help drive its new teen-skewing app into the music business.

Kelley, who joined Zigazoo as director of music partnerships in June, is responsible for connecting with artists who want to promote their music on the app. He will also create talent-driven shorts to help artists build their profile there. 

Zigazoo is a TikTok-style video-sharing app where teens can upload videos of themselves making music, dancing, answering questions and doing viral challenges. It launched in March and established a way for the company to keep engaging with its users as they age out of   flagship app Zigazoo Kids, which has been around since 2020. The OG model is designed for kids ages six to 12 and has been used by partners such as Nickelodeon, Penguin Random House and the NBA for brand promotion and content launches. 

Kelley brings a lot of high-profile music experience to the table at Zigazoo. Working at Billboard as an executive director of artist relations, he oversaw bookings for Ariana Grande, Halsey and Demi Lovato and also created BillboardLive events featuring live performances by major artists. Kelly previously worked at WithOthers, where he focused on partnering artists with compatible charities for events. And he was also an executive producer for online music platform BalconyTV, where he discovered and showcased emerging artists.