The CD Child crew just lately attended the annual Music Biz Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. One of many trade’s largest gatherings of the yr, the occasion brings collectively 1000’s of pros from labels, distributors, tech firms, and extra all over the world. And whereas the convention was largely business-facing, conversations in each room centered round points impacting impartial artists on daily basis. So right here’s what you have to know.
Conferences with platform companions
We met with our companions at Spotify, Amazon, Meta, YouTube and extra to debate challenges our artists are dealing with — AI slop, fraudulent uploads, market saturation — demonstrating how CD Child’s infrastructure and pay-per-release mannequin helps defend them by design, whereas persevering with conversations for added insurance policies, instruments, and training round platform greatest practices. These conversations had been a possibility to advocate immediately for impartial artists to the platforms shaping their paths to success.
Sponsoring the Music Biz Roadshow
We had been additionally proud to sponsor the Music Biz Roadshow, a day-long academic panel collection open to impartial artists and college students, protecting a spread of matters — together with rising AI insurance policies on streaming platforms, the significance of artist branding, and new methods to monetize music. Attendees additionally had the chance to community with the trade’s foremost specialists and get direct solutions to their questions. From the information sharing to the networking, the Roadshow aligned nicely with CD Child’s mission to interrupt down limitations for impartial artists.
Hearth chat with Y.D.B.
The spotlight of the week was a fireplace chat between our president, Molly Neuman, and CD Child artist Younger Soiled Bastard (YDB) — the son of Wu-Tang Clan founding member Ol’ Soiled Bastard. The dialog explored a narrative that felt near dwelling: methods to honor a legacy whereas forging a singular path ahead.
For YDB, that entailed main his personal impartial profession whereas retaining his father’s story and music alive. Whereas releasing unique music of his personal — and managing a staggering checklist of collaborations from SEGA to the NFL Community — he excursions usually with Wu-Tang Clan and represents his father at commemorative occasions. This yr, he’ll attend the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame Induction Ceremony to just accept Wu-Tang Clan’s induction on his father’s behalf. In all the things he does, YDB finds new methods to hold his father’s creativity ahead — utilizing legacy as an inspiration, not a limitation.
The CD Child story follows an analogous arc. Nonetheless bearing the title from our early days in bodily distribution, we’ve gone on to pioneer digital distribution for impartial artists — and at present we’re working on the forefront of the streaming ecosystem to guard and promote their work. The trade retains altering, however our mission doesn’t: to empower artists with the instruments and assist they should develop careers on their very own phrases.
That’s a snapshot of our time on the Music Biz Convention. We’re proud to symbolize impartial artists within the conversations shaping the way forward for the trade — from streaming platform options and insurance policies to rising applied sciences and techniques. In a quickly altering panorama, our purpose is to not solely preserve you knowledgeable on what’s coming, however assist you to put new information into motion.
Keep within the loop by making a free CD Child account at present. You’ll get a month-to-month roundup of sources and trade information, damaged down into actionable insights you should use to develop your profession.