High-profile manager Troy Carter joins Spotify

The artist manager who helmed the career of Lady Gaga and Meghan Trainor has joined Spotify.

As global head of creator services, Carter will be working with musicians, songwriters and labels. He will report to Stefan Blom, Spotify’s chief content and strategy officer.

Carter addressed his appointment on Facebook, noting it means he will stepping away from his management duties at his entertainment management company Atom Factory. His 

"So after 15 years of talent management, I’ve decided that it’s time to explore new roads. I’d like to thank all of the artists that gave me such an incredible opportunity by entrusting me and the Atom Factory team with their careers: Eve, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Meghan Trainor, Charlie Puth, and many many others. THANK YOU!"

Meghan Trainor, who wraps up her promo visit to Australia today, will now be represented by Jeffrey Azoff and Tommy Bruce at Full Stop Management.

Carter’s addition to the streaming giant helps it compete with rivals Apple Music and Tidal, both of which have high-profile industry backing. Apple’s industry staffers include music chief Jimmy Iovine and Beats 1 radio host Zane Lowe, while Tidal is of course owned by Jay Z’s S. Carter Enterprises and has deals with high profile acts including Kanye West and Beyonce.

Carter has been a vocal patriot of Spotify since the launch of Atom Factory in 2010. Atom Factory’s parent company Coalition Media Group - of which Carter is also the founder, chairman and CEO - is known as a rare bridge between Silicon Valley and LA’s entertainment industry. Its tech investments include Uber, Lyft, Dropbox, theSkimm, Warby Parker and Spotify.

Carter was also one of the few industry figures who spoke out against Taylor Swift’s decision to keep her latest album 1989 off of Spotify.

“I think Taylor is brilliant, but it’s sort of a flawed argument because the alternative is piracy,” Carter said on-stage at TechCrunch Disrupt last September.