Leading indie distributor DistroKid named COO Phil Bauer as its new president, the company announced Thursday (January 11), where he will lead day-to-day operations. As part of the new leadership structure, founder and CEO Philip Kaplan transitions into the role of president moving forward.
Bauer has served as the company's COO since 2018. Kaplan, who founded DistroKid in 2013, built it into a DIY distribution platform that now serves more than 2 million artists, with mobile apps, a video distribution platform and a tool mastering with artificial intelligence , called Mixea, introduced last year.
“I am honored to become president of DistroKid and humbled by the trust and confidence Philip has placed in me and our talented team,” Bauer said in a statement about his promotion. “Philip changed the game when he launched DistroKid with unlimited downloads in 2013, a model that has now been adopted across the industry to the benefit of artists everywhere. His guidance over the past five years will continue as DistroKid continues to create high-quality tools and services that help artists at any level be productive.”
“When I first started coding DistroKid 12 years ago, I never imagined the sheer scale DistroKid would achieve and the positive impact it would one day have on the music industry,” Kaplan added in a statement. “I've relied on Phil's insight since we started working together about five years ago, and he's been instrumental in our incredible growth and success. I'm excited for this next era and will help support Phil and continue to contribute to DistroKid's innovation, culture and progress.”
DistroKid says it distributes up to 35%-40% of all new music released worldwide and has edited more than 45 million songs in its decade-plus history. The company also maintains about 20 free tools for artists of all sizes to use to create, produce, and upload their work.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/business/business-news/phil-bauer-president-distrokid-ceo-philip-kaplan-chairman-1235580847/
