The CD Child group 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 1000’s of execs from labels, distributors, tech corporations, and extra all over the world. And whereas the convention was largely business-facing, conversations in each room centered round points impacting unbiased artists day by day. So right here’s what you should 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 greatest practices. These conversations have been a chance to advocate immediately for unbiased artists to the platforms shaping their paths to success.
Sponsoring the Music Biz Roadshow
We have been additionally proud to sponsor the Music Biz Roadshow, a day-long academic panel sequence open to unbiased artists and college students, protecting a spread of subjects — 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 information sharing to the networking, the Roadshow aligned properly with CD Child’s mission to interrupt down limitations for unbiased artists.
Hearth 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 dwelling: the way to honor a legacy whereas forging a novel path ahead.
For YDB, that entailed main his personal unbiased profession whereas maintaining 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 repeatedly 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 identify from our early days in bodily distribution, we’ve gone on to pioneer digital distribution for unbiased artists — and right now 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 characterize unbiased 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 objective is to not solely preserve you knowledgeable on what’s coming, however enable you to put new information into motion.
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