Tracy Maddux
{{short description|American music business executive}}
Tracy Maddux is an American business executive. He was CEO of Portland, Oregon-based CD Baby from 2012 through 2020 during which time the company grew significantly during the transition from physical to digital and streaming music formats. During Maddux’s tenure at CD Baby, the company evolved into one of the largest platforms for creator direct music distribution.{{cite news| url= https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/cd-baby-has-paid-out-over-1bn-to-artists-using-its-distribution-platform/ | publisher=Music Business Worldwide | title= CD BABY HAS PAID OUT OVER $1BN TO ARTISTS USING ITS DISTRIBUTION PLATFORM | first=Murray | last=Stassen | date=21 December 2021 | access-date=28 November 2023}}
Education
Maddux received a BA in Government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991 and an MBA in Finance and IT from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business{{cite news| url= https://www.emusician.com/blogs/interview-with-cdbaby-ceo-tracy-maddux-part-2-gigging-marketing-promotion-new | publisher=Electronic Musician | title= Interview with CDBaby CEO Tracy Maddux, Part 2: Gigging, Marketing, & Promotion | first=Randy | last=Chertkow | date=22 April 2018 | access-date=27 August 2019}} in 1998.
Career
After a stint in finance at Intel, from 2001-2009, Maddux became COO/President of Logic General, a manufacturer of CDs and DVDs for the software and music industries. In that role he began pressing discs for independent music labels.
Maddux became COO of Portland, Oregon-based CD Baby in 2010, and CEO in 2012.{{cite news| url=http://nylonconnect.com/tracymaddux | publisher=Nylon Connect | title=Speaker Profile Q&A: Tracy Maddux, CEO, CD Baby | access-date=27 August 2019}} CD Baby was Oregon's largest music employer in 2019.{{cite news| url= https://www.oregonbusiness.com/article/arts-entertainment/item/18653-genre-fluid | publisher=Oregon Business | title= Genre fluid | first=Jon | last=Shadel | date=28 January 2019 | access-date=27 August 2019}}
Throughout his time at CD Baby, Maddux expedited the digitization of the business and led the company through major growth.{{cite news| url= https://rainnews.com/cd-baby-hires-for-more-international-growth/ | publisher=Radio & Internet News | title= CD Baby hires for more international growth | first=Anna | last=Washenko | date=28 February 2019 | access-date=28 November 2023}}{{cite news| url= https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/02/cd-baby-pros-publishing-catalog-grows-250-exposes-new-revenue-streams-for-indie-musicians.html | publisher=Hypebot | title= CD Baby Pro's Publishing Catalog Grows 250%, Exposes New Revenue Streams For Indie Musicians | first=Nia R | last=Jones | date=23 February 2015 | access-date=28 November 2023}} CD Baby evolved into the leading platform for creator direct music distribution, making music accessible on platforms like Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify.{{cite news| url= https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/cd-baby-collected-125m-from-digital-platforms-like-spotify-apple-music-and-youtube-music-in-2020/ | publisher=Music Business Worldwide | title= CD BABY PAID OUT $125M FROM DIGITAL PLATFORMS LIKE SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC AND YOUTUBE MUSIC IN 2020 M | first=Tim | last=Ingham | date=4 March 2021 | access-date=28 November 2023}} This growth was driven via strategic acquisitions of Show.co, Loudr Distribution,{{cite news| url= https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/03/02/breaking-loudr-hands-off-distribution-to-cd-baby/ | publisher=Digital Music News | title= Breaking: Loudr Hands Off Distribution To CD Baby | first=Ari | last=Herstand | date=2 March 2016 | access-date=28 November 2023}} AudioMicro,{{cite news| url= https://www.musictectonics.com/post/2018/02/09/avl-digital-group-acquires-audiomicro-adrev-and-dashgo-cd-baby-e2-80-99s-parent-company-e | publisher= Music Tectonics | title= AVL Digital Group Acquires AudioMicro, AdRev, and DashGo: CD Baby's Parent Company Expands Music B2B | author=Tristra Newyear Yeager | date=9 February 2018 | access-date=28 November 2023}} AdRev, and DashGo,{{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/pro/cd-baby-parent-company-acquires-adrev-and-dashgo/ | publisher=Billboard | title= CD Baby's Parent Company Acquires AdRev and DashGo | date=10 January 2018 | access-date=28 November 2023}} that collectively formed AVL Digital Group.
In March 2019, music-rights management company Downtown Music Holdings purchased CD Baby's parent company, AVL Digital Group, from Disc Makers for more than $200 million.{{cite news| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/legal-and-management/8515672/billboard-indie-power-players-list-2019 | publisher=Billboard | title= Billboard's 2019 Indie Power Players: The Execs Behind Drake, John Prine, Lauren Daigle and BTS | date=17 June 2019 | access-date=27 August 2019}}{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/downtown-acquires-cd-baby-owner-avl-in-200-million-deal-1203174103/ | publisher=Variety | title= Downtown Acquires CD Baby Owner AVL in $200 Million Deal | first=Jem | last=Aswad | date=27 March 2019 | access-date=2 December 2020}} Maddux was CEO of AVL, which operates as a separate subsidiary.{{cite news| url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/entertainment/downtown-music-holdings-acquire-avl-digital-group | publisher=Crain's New York | title=Downtown Music Holdings to acquire AVL Digital Group | first=Beltran | last=Lizeth | date=27 March 2019 | access-date=27 August 2019}} In 2019 he oversaw partnerships between CD Baby and automatic content recognition platform Audible Magic{{cite news| url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2019/04/16/cd-baby-partners-with-audible-magic-to-increase-content-protection-for-artists-and-labels/ | work=Forbes | title= CD Baby Partners With Audible Magic To Increase Content Protection For Artists And Labels | first=Monica | last=Mercuri | date=16 April 2019 | access-date=27 August 2019}} and automated mastering platform CloudBounce.{{cite news| url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/05/23/cloudbounce-cd-baby/ | publisher=Digital Music News | title= Mastering Solution CloudBounce Expands Its Reach With a CD Baby Partnership | first=Paul | last=Resnikoff | date=23 May 2019 | access-date=27 August 2019}} In November 2020, Maddux was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer at Downtown Music Holdings,{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/downtown-music-tracy-maddux-1234818040/ | publisher=Variety | title= Downtown Music Names Tracy Maddux CCO, Amid Other Key Hires and Promotions | first=Jem | last=Aswad | date=28 October 2020 | access-date=2 December 2020}} where he led a series of international music technology acquisitions, adding Fuga (NL){{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/pro/downtown-acquisition-fuga-digital-distribution-company/#! | publisher=Billboard | author= Chris Eggertsen | title= Downtown's Growth Spurt Continues With Purchase of Digital Distributor FUGA | date=22 January 2020 | access-date=28 November 2023}} and Simbals (FR) in 2020, Found.ee in 2021 and Curve Royalty Systems (UK) in 2022. He was in this role until November 2023.{{cite news| url= https://www.billboard.com/business/business-news/downtown-music-chief-commercial-officer-tracy-maddux-steps-down-1235501872/ | publisher=Billboard | author= Chris Eggertsen | title= Downtown Music Holdings Chief Commercial Officer Tracy Maddux Steps Down | date=20 November 2023 | access-date=28 November 2023}}
Honors
In August 2018, Billboard named Maddux to its Indie Power Players list.{{cite news| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8471904/billboard-indie-power-players-list-2018 | publisher=Billboard | title= Revealed: Billboard's 2018 Indie Power Players | date=27 August 2018 | access-date=27 August 2019}} He appeared on the 2019 Indie Power Players list as well, citing "scaling the global CD Baby team" as his greatest recent accomplishment and pointing to the company's presence in "nine countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Singapore and the U.K."{{cite news| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/legal-and-management/8515672/billboard-indie-power-players-list-2019 | publisher=Billboard | title= Billboard's 2019 Indie Power Players: The Execs Behind Drake, John Prine, Lauren Daigle and BTS | date=17 June 2019 | access-date=27 August 2019}}