Ashley Woodford-Gay

Ashley Woodford-Gay is President of Xelon Digital and Head of Business Development, UK & APAC for Too Lost Music Group. A veteran music executive, entrepreneur, and technologist, Ashley has spent more than three decades at the intersection of independent music, technology, and global distribution and has played an important role in the development of Australia’s electronic music industry.

Ashley began his career in the music industry in Melbourne in the mid-1990s, initially working as a radio DJ and music director before moving into the record business. He held A&R roles at Pro-DJ and Central Station Records, two influential Australian dance music labels, where he worked closely with leading local and international electronic artists and helped compile, produce, market, and release successful dance music projects.

In 2007, Ashley founded Xelon, combining his experience as a music executive with his expertise and interest in technology to create one of Australia’s earliest digital music distributors. At a time when the industry was rapidly transitioning from physical formats to digital consumption, Ashley recognized the need for independent labels to have direct, technology-driven access to emerging digital platforms and built Xelon to provide that infrastructure.

Under Ashley’s leadership, Xelon grew from an Australian digital distribution business into one of the country’s largest and most established independent music distributors, developing an international presence across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and the United States. Today, Xelon represents more than 1,000 label clients and maintains direct relationships with the world’s leading digital music platforms.

Ashley has remained deeply connected to the independent label community throughout his career. He is particularly recognized for his contributions to electronic and dance music and has worked with some of the most important labels, executives, and artists in the genre, while building Xelon as a genre-agnostic distribution and label-services business. Xelon’s longstanding relationships include prominent independent music companies such as Central Station Records and Sweat It Out, and the company has supported music from artists including RÜFÜS DU SOL, Dom Dolla, What So Not, Luude, Yolanda Be Cool, and others.

Ashley has also been an early advocate for using technology to expand opportunities for independent music companies. Through Xelon, he helped develop digital supply-chain infrastructure and services spanning global music delivery, rights and royalty administration, analytics, video monetization, label management, marketing, and emerging digital formats, helping independent labels navigate successive generations of change in the music industry.

Following Xelon’s combination with Too Lost Music Group, Ashley continues to lead Xelon as its President while serving as Head of Business Development for Too Lost across the United Kingdom and Asia-Pacific. In his broader TLMG role, he works with independent labels, artists, entrepreneurs, and music companies throughout these markets to identify new partnerships, distribution relationships, investments, acquisitions, and strategic opportunities.

Beyond his executive roles, Ashley has been an active advocate for Australia’s independent music community. Since 2014, he has served on the board of the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), representing and supporting the interests of Australia’s independent recording sector.

He remains an active participant in the global independent music community and a regular contributor to industry conferences and events across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.