There is plenty of talk online about how much independent artists make (or don’t make).

Sure, it’s tough to succeed in music. But if it was easy, everyone would have done it. More to the point, are there any other careers out there where success doesn’t require hard work and persistence?

This statement may surprise you, but as the following infographic shows, Independent music sales are growing.

Here are several stats you may find noteworthy:

Independent artists are growing their share of the music business, and in 2017 it made up roughly 40% of the total industry revenue.
CD Baby artists earned $80 million payout on a catalog of over nine million digital tracks.
CD Baby added one million digital tracks just in 2017.
These and other amazing stats are highlighted in CD Baby’s anniversary infographic below. Have a look for yourself.