I managed a major territory for one of the biggest digital music distributors in the world. Digital distribution is the bit that gets music into DSPs like Spoti

I managed a major territory for one of the biggest digital music distributors in the world. Digital distribution is the bit that gets music into DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music, and processes the resulting revenues. There are a significant number of very successful artists who do not have a label. We had lots. Even artists signed to major label deals are often doing a JV with a major after achieving traction themselves - or are doing an “artist services” deal where the label does some things but not others. Labels are great - but there are lots of artist making a success of things outside the traditional label model. There are, of course, also lots of artists with amazing music who go nowhere because they can’t market themselves enough to get up the next rung of the ladder.