The former MD of Spotify U.K. and Ireland, Tom Connaughton, has joined growing independent distributor Canvas Music as Partner and Senior Adviser.

The company has also signed a long-term JV with its U.S. partner, Symphonic Distribution.

Connaughton exited Spotify at the end of 2023 after nearly six years at the streaming platform. Beforehand, he was SVP of Creative Content & Programming for Vevo.

Canvas Music Founder and Chief Executive Richard Lyne, pictured (left) with Connaughton, described his new hire as “a world-class executive who will bring a level of knowledge and experience to the company that we could only have dreamt of when we launched.”

He continued, “In a crowded market, it’s time to do distribution differently. The aim for us is to provide a great service with a great product but with more focus and less volume. Tom is exactly the sort of person we need to help us grow and achieve those goals.”