CD Baby Pays $10 Million To Musicians For CDs Sold

(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) —
Independent online music retailer CD Baby has now paid over $10 million directly to musicians for CDs sold worldwide through their online store at cdbaby.com. CD Baby's easy consignment system has given every musician access to worldwide sales and distribution, without having to sign away their music to a record label. While record labels are blaming piracy for a lack of sales, music sold through CD Baby has almost doubled every year for the past six years.

"It's easier than ever for music fans to find great non-mainstream music," says CD Baby founder Derek Sivers. "So what's reported as a sales decline for a huge pop star is actually a sales boost for the less-famous but more-talented musicians of the world. We sell thousands of CDs a day by artists you've never heard, but will love when you do."

Now, as one of the primary suppliers of music to digital download services such as Apple iTunes, MSN Music, Napster, Rhapsody, Sony Connect, MusicMatch, and more, CD Baby is helping artists everywhere get their music out into even wider distribution.

CD Baby has been a launching pad for O.A.R., Jack Johnson and Gary Jules as well as Thomas Dolby, George Clinton, Grant-Lee Phillips, and Beach Boy Al Jardine, who have chosen to use CD Baby's unique distribution service to release smaller projects directly to their fans.

CD Baby now represents over 75,000 artists and labels, making them the largest seller of independent music on the web. –Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner