Episode 14: Navigating the Current Beat of the Music Industry with CD Baby President Molly Neuman

Tisha Morris welcomes Molly Newman, President of CD Baby, the leading music distribution company for independent artists, to share her extensive experience in the music industry, including her beginnings as a drummer in the punk band Bratmobile. They discuss the impact of the recent fires in L.A. on the music community, the evolving landscape of music distribution, and the importance of maintaining community connections.  

Molly also elaborates on the significant changes in the music industry, such as the role of AI and the challenges of music discovery. She emphasizes the importance of artists treating their careers as businesses while staying true to their creative passions.  

00:14 Molly Newman's Background and Achievements

01:20 Impact of Fires on the Music Industry

03:45 The Evolution of CD Baby

08:09 Challenges and Opportunities for Independent Artists

22:03 The Role of AI in Music

28:46 Balancing Creativity and Business

About Molly Neuman:

Molly Neuman is President of CD Baby, owned by Downtown Music, the leading music distribution company dedicated to empowering independent and self-releasing artists. As President, Neuman is leading strategy and management of Downtown which serves millions of artists every day. Neuman was previously CMO of Downtown Music Holdings, CD Baby’s parent company and prior to that, President of Downtown’s Songtrust, which grew under her leadership to manage more than 3 million copyrights.

With a career that has been focused on empowering musicians at all career stages, Neuman has been Head of Music at Kickstarter, and has held senior roles in licensing in digital music, as well as label and artist management. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of Women in Music and has previously served on the boards of the Music Business Association, SoundExchange and A2IM.

Neuman was awarded International Woman of the Year at the 2024 Music Week Awards and has been recognized by Billboard in its 2018 Digital Power Players List, as well as its Women in Music Lists for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024. Her musical career began as a drummer in Bratmobile, a punk band who were in the first wave of the riot grrrl movement.

https://cdbaby.com/

@cdbaby (Instagram)

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cd-baby/