These are the executives to watch — at labels, distributors and associations — who have weathered the pandemic and ignited the success of artists on the charts, unconstrained by the major-label system.
Joel Andrew
President, CD Baby
Excelling at service to independent artists is in CD Baby’s DNA, says Andrew, who takes pride in how the company has helped sustain acts during the pandemic. “Artists turned to us in droves, and we got to pay them a whole lot of money, [helping sell] 2.2 million new tracks [that yielded] $140 million paid out to indie artists in 2020,” he says.
Best Timesaving Tip: “Have a plan months before releasing content. We added a free new tool, our CD Baby Release Plan Generator, where artists can improve or customize releases. It’s saving them so much time.”