Independent artists on CD Baby, a digital music distributor, will now have access to AI-powered marketing tools from SymphonyOS, following a new partnership.
The partnership aims to bridge the gap between aspiring musicians and the resources typically only available to artists that have access to large marketing teams, the companies said in a joint release recently.
SymphonyOS will now offer CD Baby artists the means to enhance their businesses and execute marketing campaigns to boost their streams on DSPs and grow sales.
“At CD Baby, we are committed to offering new ways to support artist distribution and marketing, and SymphonyOS is one of the innovative tools we are excited to make available to our customers,” CD Baby President Scott Williams said in a statement.
SymphonyOS originated from Integral Studio, an agency founded by Chuka Chase and Megh Vakharia in 2016. Initially building websites for artists like SZA and Travis Scott, the agency expanded into merchandise and digital marketing, gaining insights into fan interactions.
SymphonyOS, the first marketing platform aimed at putting fanbase growth on autopilot, was launched in 2022, incorporating smart, automated marketing tools. The platform utilizes AI to generate and execute personalized marketing campaigns tailored to each artist’s unique audience and objectives. It takes into account target audiences, specific channels, and recommended marketing timing.
“We have been using SymphonyOS for some time and we’re excited to introduce the tool to our artists to help them grow and build devoted fan bases who support their work.”
Scott Williams, CD Baby
SymphonyOS dissects campaign and Instagram insights, providing “easy-to-read visualizations” to track content. The platform also offers a ‘Forever Saves’ feature that lets fans subscribe to a creator’s releases.
“We have been using SymphonyOS for some time and we’re excited to introduce the tool to our artists to help them grow and build devoted fan bases who support their work,” said Williams.
About 2 million artists and creators stand to benefit from the partnership. CD Baby, owned by Downtown Music Holdings, announced in November that these creators have produced over 20 million tracks.
With the current landscape witnessing some 120,000 daily uploads to DSPs, the partnership with SymphonyOS is expected to assist CD Baby artists in standing out amid the intense competition for listener attention, the companies said.
Independent creators on CD Baby will now have discounted access to SymphonyOS Pro via CD Baby’s Tools & Promotions page, leveraging insights from marketing principles collected from over 125 million fans.
“We are all about empowering artists to grow their fan bases, and nobody has more experience helping independent creators reach fans than CD Baby,” said Megh Vakharia, co-founder and CEO of SymphonyOS.
“We are all about empowering artists to grow their fan bases, and nobody has more experience helping independent creators reach fans than CD Baby.”
Megh Vakharia, SymphonyOS
“Now those creators can boost their growth with Symphony’s intuitive automated marketing tools in their back pocket.”
The announcement of the partnership came five months after SymphonyOS raised $1 million in a pre-seed fundraising round from strategic investors from the music and tech sectors including Spice Capital, GoldHouse Ventures, LVRN Records, Guin Records, former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam and a roster of artists including 21 Savage and 24kGoldn.
In September, SymphonyOS partnered with UnitedMasters, which operates a software and services platform for indie artists, to provide automated music marketing tools to artists.
For CD Baby, the deal expands its offerings to artists after launching a CDB Boost feature in November to help indie songwriters in royalty collection and sync opportunities.
It also comes as CD Baby sharpened its focus on streaming after ending its distribution of vinyl and CDs in May 2023, aligning with the digital landscape and embracing the growing dominance of streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.
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