CARTER TO EXIT SPOTIFY?

In the wake of controversy surrounding Spotify’s announcement of its Policy on Hate Content and Hateful Conduct, it’s rumored that Troy Carter will step down from his post as Global Head of Creative Services later this year.

Since the announcement, which highlighted the removal of music by R. Kelly and XXXTentacion from the streamery's playlists, the socials have lit up with outrage over the policy.

"Spotify is wrong for what they’re doing” to these artists, 50 Cent asserted on Twitter. "They're not even convicted of anything." Others are reprimanding Spotify for targeting a mere two artists, while other alleged predators are unaffected. Some are calling the move an act of racism. The New York Times quoted a rep from XXX's team, who asked if the company would also be removing music by Gene Simmons, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others.

A statement from Carter has yet to be released; some insiders at Spotify believe the company’s decision to put out a press release about the new policy may have been a key motivator in Carter’s decision to resign. It’s believed that he fought against the idea of announcing the policy changes and trumpeting the idea of determining “values,” which has drawn the ire of much of the music community. Had Spotify simply changed its approach to promoting artists without grandstanding in the press, these insiders say, this firestorm might’ve been avoided.

The well-liked and respected Carter joined Daniel Ek's team in 2016 after a highly successful run as an artist manager and tech specialist who worked with closely with the likes of Lady Gaga, John Legend, Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor.

For what it's worth, sources inside Spotify say this rumor is completely untrue. Stay tuned for updates; in the meantime, here's some analysis of the current situation from our own Michelle Santosuosso.