Spotify's music industry liaison Troy Carter to depart

Troy Carter, who acted as a bridge between Sweden-based Spotify Technology SA and the recorded music industry, will leave the company in early September but remain in an advisory role, Spotify said on Monday.

Carter was a music industry veteran who had previously helped manage artists such as Lady Gaga and John Legend. In 2016, he became Spotify’s global head of creator services.

In that role, he helped the Swedish company allay concerns from artists over how they could gain a following and make money on Spotify’s streaming music platform, which has thinner margins than the traditional record business.

“I came to this company to help bridge the gap between Spotify and the creative community,” Carter said in a prepared statement. “Over time, that goal evolved from fixing a challenge to building a global team focused on changing the game for artists around the world, partnering with them to help bring their creative visions to life in new and innovative ways.”

Variety earlier reported Carter’s departure. The magazine also reported that Carter had been upset at a Spotify policy put in place in May that demoted the prominence of some artists after they were accused of what the company called “hateful conduct.”

The policy affected artists such as singer R. Kelly and rapper XXXTentacion. Last month, Spotify narrowed the policy, keeping a ban on songs “whose principal purpose is to incite hatred or violence” but removing terms related to an artist’s conduct.

Spotify did not respond to a question about whether Carter’s departure was related to the policy.

In a statement, Spotify Chief Executive Daniel Ek said when Carter “joined our team, there was skepticism from the artist community on streaming overall. Troy has been instrumental in changing that perception and his efforts to establish true partnerships across the industry will be felt for years to come.”