CD Baby
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music distribution |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Derek Sivers |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Tracy Maddux (COO) |
| Products | Digital music distribution, music publishing services |
| Parent | Downtown (since 2019) |
CD Baby, Inc. is an independent music distribution company operating online and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1998 by Derek Sivers, the firm has been characterized as an "anti-label" by Tracy Maddux, COO of its parent company. Originally providing both physical and digital distribution services, CD Baby transitioned to exclusively digital distribution as of June 2023.
By 2018, CD Baby had achieved preferred partner recognition with Apple Music, highlighting its prominent role in the digital music marketplace. As of May 2019, the platform supported more than 650,000 artists and offered nine million tracks distributed across upwards of 100 international digital outlets. This broad distribution network demonstrates CD Baby’s significant influence and expansion within the digital music sector.
History
Founded during the height of the dot-com era in 1998 by Derek Sivers, CD Baby moved its main office to Portland, Oregon in 2000, where it remains based today. The company ventured into digital music distribution by 2004 and became one of the early collaborators with iTunes.
In August 2008, after a seven-year collaboration, Disc Makers acquired both CD Baby and Host Baby for $22 million, strengthening CD Baby’s position in both physical and digital music markets.
The introduction of Pro Publishing in 2013 marked CD Baby’s entry into assisting independent songwriters with managing composition rights and collecting publishing royalties worldwide. This service now operates in over 70 countries, contributing to the company’s expanding global footprint and revenue diversification.
In March 2019, Downtown acquired CD Baby as part of AVL Digital Group for $200 million. Simultaneously, AVL’s physical product branches—Disc Makers, BookBaby, and Merchly—were purchased by Disc Makers’ executives and restructured under the newly formed DIY Media Group.
CD Baby ended retail sales on March 31, 2020, to concentrate solely on digital distribution. The company fully discontinued physical media fulfillment by June 2023 to focus exclusively on online music delivery and enhance its competitive positioning within streaming platforms.
Services
From its inception through 2018, CD Baby distributed $600 million to artists, underscoring its financial success and dedication to supporting creators. The company broadened its service offerings by acquiring subsidiaries such as HearNow, Show.co, and Illustrated Sound Network. However, HostBaby—a platform for hosting artist pages—was shut down in 2019 as part of a strategic business realignment.