AC's Exclusive Interview with Derek Sivers, Founder of CDBaby.com

Listen to any notable artist from a big label and you'll eventually hear them complain about big labels. From The Kinks to Dr. Dre, nobody seems to like dealing with the folks behind the curtain, and until recently, there wasn't much an artist could do except decry the system--the big music industry, however bloated and anti-artistic, was a necessary evil for any artist who wanted to move beyond their living room and gain a large amount of exposure.

But as the Internet has grown in popularity, Derk Sivers's CDBaby.com has offered a way for independent musicians to sell their CD to a mass market, both digitally (music stores like iTunes and Napster) and physically (any CD ordered ships out the same day). It's a site that treats both customers and musicians well, and it's gradually leveling the playing field between independent and large-label musicians.

Derek took a few minutes to discuss his site's success and the future of the music industry.

AC: Your site's gotten incredibly popular with independent musicians. Why did you decide to get into this business?

I was just a musician with my own CD that I'd made myself in 1997, and I was trying to sell it online because I was doing a national radio campaign. I'd hired a college radio promoter, and it was picking up little pockets of interest in places like New Mexico and Central California and Maine, and all these places I knew I was never going to be able to tour. My only means for selling CDs at this time was at shows, and because we were getting these pockets of interest, I wanted to get it up and selling online. I really went searching high and low, and there was not a single place that would do this for you.

I called up CD Now and I said, "Hey, I've sold 1,500 copies of it on my own, would you guys like to sell it?" And they said, "Sure, who's your distributor?"

I said, "Well, I don't have a distributor."

"Oh, well, you need to have a distributor."

I said, "Well, can't I just be a distributor then, and send you my CDs, and you sell it and pay me?"

And they were like, "Sorry, kid, you gotta go through a distributor."

So I called up the other big online music stores at the time, and it was the same story - they all said, "Unless you're going through a distributor, we can't deal with your products."

So - fuggit - I did it myself.

Some friends saw what I was doing and said, "Hey man - could you sell my CD, too?"

So I just started doing favors for friends. Then friends told friends. Then strangers started calling. And here we are. The largest seller of independent music online. 150,000 artists and $35 million in sales.

You gotta be careful when you start a hobby.

AC: You weren't the first person to have the idea of an online music store that sells any artist's music, but you've been the most successful. Why do you think that is?

DS: Well... uh... I was the first, actually. I swear in 1997 when I started this there was nobody that would sell my CD! Not a single business. Now there are tons. Or, rather, there were a few years ago. They've all gone out of business now. So it's just me, again.

Why CD Baby lasted while others disappeared? I'm not sure. Maybe because I'm not greedy. Maybe it's the beautiful site design. (ha!)

AC: Are you ever going to change the color scheme on the site? It looks a little...dated.

DS: Oh it's been dated since day one. Apparently Craigslist also gets 100 offers a day to redesign their site. I'll do it some day. For now, it works.

AC: CDBaby artists can opt into your digital distribution program, which puts their material on sites like iTunes and Napster. How do you think that's affecting independent music?

DS: It's amazing! I love seeing unknown artists on a totally even playing-field with the superstars. Same interface. On iTunes, you can't tell the difference between an unknown and a star. It's wonderful.

AC: Do you think that digital music will ever completely replace the physical product?

Some day, yes. Whether it's next year or in 20 years, it's inevitable.

AC: What's the most that a CDBaby artist has ever sold in one month?

A few different times, an artist on CD Baby gets major press coverage like a TV show, and sells between 5000 - 10,000 CDs in a month. It's amazing.

AC: Is there any trend in music right now that really bothers you?

Musicians spending too much time on their computer, and too little time really honing their craft, whether it's songwriting or playing.

AC: What's in your CD player right now?

My cat's paw. I just ejected it to see, and he attacked it.

Besides his paw, it's Tracy Spuehler, "Six Three One". http://cdbaby.com/cd/tracymusic Such a great simple pop record. So unaffected. Makes my eyes water.

AC: Any tips for bands on how to promote themselves?

LOTS! Please see http://cdbaby.net/derek

I get asked those questions so many times that I decided to take a few weeks to write down my advice instead of just repeating it every time.

AC: Thanks, Derek. You've got a fantastic site.

Music lovers can check out CDBaby's catalog at www.cdbaby.com. Musicians can learn how to sell their CD on CDBaby at www.cdbaby.net.