CD Baby
Downtown-owned CD Baby and Soundrop Lay Off Employees, Citing ‘Economic Conditions’
CD Baby and Soundrop have both laid off employees, citing “economic conditions” and “uncertain times,” according to a company-wide email written by Downtown’s new chief people officer Love Whelchel on Oct. 5. Whelchel started at Downtown just last month. News of the layoffs was first published by Digital Music News. While the outlet reported that 30 employees were let go from the two companies, a spokesperson for CD Baby and Soundrop tells Billboard this figure is incorrect. It remains unclear how many people were laid off from the companies. News of these layoffs arrives about a week after parent company Downtown announced that it would be combining multiple of its businesses to consolidate and streamline its B2B operations under the new monicker Downtown Music. This new one-stop-shop wil...
The Changing Role of a Music Distributor in 2022
Words by Clayton Durant and Alex Jeffrey. Music distribution is nothing new. Even since the earliest days of music, distribution has been a critical component for driving the recorded and publishing business. However, the function of the music distributor has changed over the past few years as technology, consolidation, and the emergence of new, well financed companies has forced many to ask: “What is the role of the music distributor in 2022?” Today’s music business has found the convergence of independent artists and distribution to be one of the most important areas of growth. According to MiDIA, independent labels and artists increased their combined streaming market share to 31.5% in 2021. This growth comes alongside RIAA’s annual year-end data, which noted that the record...
Why Are We Still Measuring Artist Success With a Major Label Yardstick? (Guest Column)
Even with the years-long pattern of independent artists increasing their market share — MIDIA estimated that in 2020, artist direct revenues jumped by nearly 35%, made up more than 5% of the global market and broke the billion-dollar mark — the formula for artist success has been the same for practically a century. The top 1% of performers/entertainers are wealthy, powerful and famous stars and the remaining musicians, songwriters, performers and artists are considered failures. If the music of the 99% does not fit the mold of commercial radio or the hot new app, it doesn’t get past the major label or algorithm gatekeepers, so promoters, brands and marketers ignore it. This has an impact on the collective consciousness of what gets heard but also what is considered “good” or successful. Th...
