BMI’s Worldwide Creative VP Barbara Cane to Retire After 50 Years

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Oct 20, 2026 2:35pm PT

Music Industry Moves: Barbara Cane, BMI’s VP of Worldwide Creative, to Retire After Five Decades

By Jem Aswad

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Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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After a five-decade career with BMI , Barbara Cane has announced that she will retire from the company at the end of this year. While she is leaving her current role as BMI’s Vice President of Worldwide Creative, Cane has agreed to serve in an advisory capacity to BMI, working directly with CEO Mike O’Neill.

“After more than five decades, BMI is not simply where I have built my career — it is part of who I am,” Cane said. “It gave me the opportunity to grow, to discover, and, most importantly, to uncover the soul within the songwriter. Through every chapter of my journey, I have come to understand that creativity is not simply a profession; it is the heart of who songwriters are and the force that moves our industry forward. What has made this journey so meaningful is that my own values remain deeply aligned with those of BMI – to believe in creators, to nurture their gifts, and to create an environment in which their careers can flourish. After fifty years, that purpose still lives in my heart—and it is why this work has never felt simply like a career, but like a calling.”

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_Originally reported by [Variety Music](https://variety.com/2026/music/news/barbara-cane-retire-bmi-five-decades-1236918072/)._