MUMBAI: CD Baby is proud to announce the hiring of two notable Indian music professionals to its rapidly expanding network of international representatives. It is the first large international artist services and distribution company to do so.
“India has some of the richest music cultures in the world and artists are eagerly looking for opportunities to share their creativity with audiences around the globe,” explains Heli Del Moral, VP of International Development at CD Baby. “We encourage artists to stay independent and to access our world-class promotion tools to help them propel their music careers. Education is a top priority for CD Baby. Our mission in India is to simplify the process for artists and composers, and to give them the practical steps and information they need to successfully market and sell their music.”
The two hires’ life work speaks to this mission. Ritnika Nayan, with years of music business leadership and education experience, literally wrote the book on indie music in India, all while managing a large festival and her own music company. Priyanka Khimani, lead partner at one of Mumbai’s prominent digital entertainment and intellectual property legal firms, will offer legal guidance and other support, as CD Baby seeks to offer excellent service and tools for India’s burgeoning independent music scene. Nayan will also represent CD Baby’s sister companies, including DashGo, which offers services tailored to labels’ needs.
“The entry of entities like CD Baby into the Indian music industry marks the coming of a truly exciting time. The country’s music space today boasts of a glittering range of music creators and artists – across genres – particularly in the independent music space,” notes Khimani. “With organizations dedicated to ensuring that such creators successfully communicate their works and monetise them effectively, I look forward to everything that is in store!”
“I have always been passionate about the independent music scene and music education has been my focus in the last few years. I feel CD Baby is one of the few companies that genuinely shares the same vision of empowering artists,” Nayan reflects. “CD Baby is for the artists and it helps artists take control of their music, not just through digital releases, but also through education. I feel truly blessed to be able to help the indie scene in India through CD Baby, this is exactly what our country needs right now.”
These hires mark another step forward in CD Baby’s regionalization strategy, bringing its artist-oriented support to local markets in meaningful, informed ways. “India is a huge, vibrant market and presents a great opportunity for CD Baby,” says Tracy Maddux, CEO of AVL Digital, parent company to both CD Baby and DashGo. “We believe that Priyanka and Ritnika are the right people to help us grow and learn about what artists and labels need in this diverse, intensely creative country. This is a very exciting expansion for us that marks our commitment and belief in the future of the indie music market in India.”
CD Baby currently has 19 representatives operating in 25 countries around the world.
