THE BEARD HAS LANDED: MARKS
TO SPOTIFY

John Marks, who quietly left his gig as programmer of SiriusXM’s influential The Highway during the summer, has joined Spotify as global programming head for country music, The Tennessean reports. The most critical aspect of the job will be choosing the country acts to be added to the service's playlists. During his tenure at Sirius, Marks earned a rep for spotting talent early and playing a key role in breaking the likes of Florida Georgia Line, Brandy Clark, Cole Swindell and Chase Rice, among others.

Initially confronted with a skeptical response from Music Row, Spotify has already made inroads in Nashville, thanks to colorfully named country label-relations exec Copeland Isaacson, the story points out. Marks and Isaacson will work together to continue growing country music on the service.

"I think it’s doing great," Spotify VP of Content and Distribution Steve Savoca said about how country music is faring on the service. "And I think there’s a lot more headroom for it. Making a hire like John Marks speaks to our investment and interest in helping develop it."