SYDNEY, Australia — Secretly Distribution has its sights set on APAC, with the launch of a new regional office.
Based in Sydney, Australia, the independent music group’s APAC activities are led by Max Thomas, who rises to head of APAC, after leading Secretly Group’s APAC marketing and strategy for the past four years.
In that time, Thomas led album campaigns for the likes of Mitski, Bon Iver, Bright Eyes, Faye Webster, Folk Bitch Trio, Khruangbin, Japanese Breakfast, Mustafa, Sharon Van Etten, Toro y Moi, Wednesday and more throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
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With Thomas at the helm, Secretly Distribution will focus “on supporting artists and labels throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” reads a statement.
As the company expands its global footprint (Secretly has existing offices in New York, Los Angeles and London), Secretly Distribution promotes Chris Cannon to VP of international strategy, reward for guiding the business to 30% revenue growth overseas, across both digital and physical formats, in the past year.
“I am thrilled to be leading the charge as Secretly Distribution continues expanding our global footprint to incorporate our new APAC office,” says Cannon in a statement. “As our distributed label roster expands not only in size, but in genre, geography and customer profile, SD continues to adapt accordingly.”
The new structure, led by Thomas, means the business can “localize our service whilst adopting a proactive approach in response to the organic growth we can see in fast developing markets such as the Philippines, Indonesia and China.”
The opportunities for collaboration in these markets are “vast, and we have only begun to scratch the surface,” Cannon continues.
Based in London, England, Cannon has overseen the development of Secretly’s Latin American strategy, and launched Cargo Independent Distribution, which Cargo Records, Secretly Distribution and Beggars Group created as a means to maintain and promote an independent path to market for physical music in the U.K.
A new marketing and campaigns manager in Southeast Asia will be recruited shortly, and between them the APAC team will oversee priority releases across the SD roster, including those on Australia-based labels such as Chapter Music and Spinning Top, and New Zealand labels Lil’ Chief Records and Flying Nun.
The new team will also guide relationships with long-time APAC distribution partners such as Leaplay (Korea), Rocket (Australia), Rhythm Method (New Zealand), Southbound (New Zealand) and Ultra-Vybe (Japan), plus key local retail partners with which Secretly Distribution works closely.
Formed more than 25 years ago, Secretly Distribution is part of the Secretly Group, which is headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana and which is parent to the likes of Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, and Merge Records, through a 50% stake acquired earlier this year.
The distribution specialist recently struck a global partnership with high-quality vinyl leader Org Music; renewed its deal with Asthmatic Kitty Records; signed a global deal with Geoff Barrow and Redg Weeks’ Invada Records; scored a nomination for Distributor of The Year at the 2025 Libera Awards; and announced a global deal with Third Man Records.
The latest ARIA Albums Chart features, for the first time, an entry from Frankston, Victoria indie rock band the Belair Lip Bombs, the first Australian act signed to Third Man Records. The Belair Lip Bombs’ sophomore set Again opened at No. 25 on the national tally.
