Spotify may lead rival streaming services with its 30 million paying subscribers (as of March), but staying ahead of Apple Music and Tidal is not a given, and the company seems well aware of that. The streamer has now brought on Troy Carter — a music manager who has worked with the likes of Lady Gaga, John Legend, Meghan Trainor, and more — as global head of creative services.
Hits Double Daily first reported rumors of the high-profile hire, with Spotify confirming the news on Monday, according to Recode. In his new position, Carter will work with musicians to secure exclusive artist content and be involved in original content creation. With his track record of success and talent management, he seems ideally suited to the position. Plus, the streamer must be drooling over the mere idea of a Lady Gaga Spotify exclusive.
Exclusive content has become more and more common for streaming services. Kanye West’s most recent album, The Life of Pablo, for example, started out as a Tidal exclusive, while Drake’s Views was initially only available on Apple Music. Spotify clearly wants to secure similar deals, and getting a music industry insider on board is an important step.
Carter posted some thoughts about this career move on his Facebook page Monday afternoon. “I’m a firm believer that Spotify is the future for music,” he wrote. “In my new role as Global Head of Creative Services, my job is just a natural continuation of what I’ve always done – protect the voice of artists. Always have and always will.”
The post clearly conveyed Carter’s support for artists, passion for music, and enthusiasm for Spotify, so now it just remains to be seen what he is able to cook up with those ingredients.
