Beatport's New President Hints At Changes To Come

More than a year after EDM conglomerate SFX Entertainment purchased Beatport, the online music retailer has rolled out some kind of mission statement from its new leadership. The post was written by Beatport's new president and longtime employee, Lloyd Starr, and it ultimately doesn't say much. Starr hints that the company has some "new people and new partners" in the works, as well as fresh "features and services," but the only hard news available is the inauguration of his presidency—plus some lofty rhetoric about how Beatport will continue to "focus on the music" as they grow and change. "Even as we add new features and services designed for fans, we will always do so with the benefit to DJs in mind," Starr wrote. Huh?

Check out the full statement below.

"These are exciting times here at Beatport. As we celebrate 10 years of serving the dance music community, we're also busy preparing for the next 10 in new and innovative ways.

There's a lot new here. We have new owners in SFX Entertainment. We have a lot of new people and new partners. And you'll soon see some new features and services. In line with that theme, there's also new leadership driving all this forward, starting with myself as the company's new president.

Taking over the reins at Beatport has special meaning to me. I was the company's first employee after the original founders. Hired as a senior flash developer, I actually coded the original Flash store (…sorry about that). In the beginning we worked together on one long desk in a space so small I needed Liz Miller (now at Big Beat) to move just so I could get out of my chair. Back then the only way to ingest new music into the store was to load all the new tracks into everyone's personal computers and drive them over to the server farm and upload. I have fond memories of those days.

I always felt we were building something special, but I had no idea how far it would come. What's most inspiring/gratifying to watch is the way the dance music community and the business that supports it have grown with Beatport over the years. We were inspired by the thousands of corner record stores across the globe that connected people to music, and wanted to incorporate that spirit into a digital infrastructure available anywhere. The result is more than a music store, but a unified global platform that provides artists and labels with a launching pad for breaking new music. It's been amazing to play a role in that.

Yet along the way—through all the struggles, milestones, and changes—what remained constant throughout was our unwavering focus on serving DJs. And that will never change. The DJ is the lifeblood of the dance music community, the tastemaker, the influencer. Even as we add new features and services designed for fans, we will always do so with the benefit to DJs in mind. Connecting DJs with fans. Connecting fans to music.

Beatport grew out of the opportunity of being first to market. That's no longer the case. We're not the only game in town, not from the perspective of a digital download music store, not from the perspective of a destination for news and information, and not as a community hub.

What will keep Beatport relevant in the years to come will be our focus on the music. At Beatport, music is not a loss leader used to sell something else. We have a vested interest in driving investment into the community…to the creators, the performers, and distributors alike. It's both a great opportunity and a massive responsibility.

We have no plans on resting on the strength of our name recognition to accomplish these goals. We'll move forward with a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. I want to hear from the labels, the DJs, the producers, the fans, and more. The future of Beatport will be built by the community. Your input will be heard more than ever before as we define this future together.

I'm incredibly proud to be working with a strong team empowered to help drive this vision forward. This includes Executive Creative Director Clark Warner, who leads Beatport's partnerships, festival integrations, and remains the voice of the brand; as well as VP of Music Services Terry Weerasinghe, who will oversee music merchandising and label/supplier relations. I couldn't ask for a better pair to support our efforts.

Know that I'll be keeping an ear to the ground and listening to all your feedback, whether it's through our label management team, customer service department, or direct meetings with partners. The future of Beatport is your future as well, and together we'll build that future."

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