The CD Child staff not too long ago attended the annual Music Biz Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. One of many trade’s largest gatherings of the yr, the occasion brings collectively hundreds 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 every single day. So right here’s what you might want to know.

Conferences with platform companions

We met with our companions at Spotify, Amazon, Meta, YouTube and extra to debate challenges our artists are going through — AI slop, fraudulent uploads, market saturation — demonstrating how CD Child’s infrastructure and pay-per-release mannequin helps shield them by design, whereas persevering with conversations for added insurance policies, instruments, and training round platform finest practices. These conversations had been a chance 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 instructional panel sequence open to impartial artists and college students, overlaying a variety 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 consultants and get direct solutions to their questions. From the data sharing to the networking, the Roadshow aligned effectively with CD Child’s mission to interrupt down obstacles for impartial artists.

Fireplace chat with Y.D.B.

The spotlight of the week was a hearth 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 residence: methods to honor a legacy whereas forging a novel path ahead.

For YDB, that entailed main his personal impartial profession whereas holding his father’s story and music alive. Whereas releasing authentic music of his personal — and managing a staggering checklist of collaborations from SEGA to the NFL Community — he excursions often 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 simply accept Wu-Tang Clan’s induction on his father’s behalf. In all the pieces 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 identical arc. Nonetheless bearing the title from our early days in bodily distribution, we’ve gone on to pioneer digital distribution for impartial artists — and right this moment 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 help 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 characterize impartial artists within the conversations shaping the way forward for the trade — from streaming platform options and insurance policies to rising applied sciences and methods. In a quickly altering panorama, our aim is to not solely maintain you knowledgeable on what’s coming, however make it easier to put new data into motion.

Keep within the loop by making a free CD Child account right this moment. You’ll get a month-to-month roundup of assets and trade information, damaged down into actionable insights you should use to develop your profession. 

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