CD Baby's Molly Neuman on AI, Fraud, and Indie Music's Next Move

CD Baby's been around forever in the streaming age, but the game keeps shifting. This week Molly Neuman, the platform's president, got real about what's actually breaking independent music right now: AI tracks flooding the DSPs, streaming fraud schemes tanking payouts, and artists getting caught in the middle of it all.

For decades, CD Baby's been the move for DIY artists who didn't want a major label or a middleman taking cuts. But when the landscape changes this fast—when anyone can generate a thousand songs in an afternoon and bots can game the system—the old model gets tested. Neuman's talking about how an indie platform has to adapt without selling out the artists it was built to protect.

It's the real tension: AI and automation are here whether we like it or not, but they're also being weaponized against legitimate creators. And fraud isn't some niche thing anymore—it's actively diluting what independent artists can make from streams.

This is essential listening if you're making music outside the machine or just trying to understand why your favorite independent artist's numbers don't add up.

Read the full story at Ari's Take → https://aristake.com/molly-neuman/