Instagram story viewer> @gusconfalone> Tagged

Gus Confalone

@gusconfalone

1.8K

followers

1780

following

@colbymsoccer ‘27

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Chasing this high #happyweekend

31

7

A naked man feared no pickpocket

305

99

CD Baby was distribution and back office. DistroKid was the door to Spotify and Apple Music. Native Instruments was the software half the working producers in the world build sessions around.

Inside a few months, all three changed hands or agreed to. Universal took CD Baby's parent for $775 million. CVC Capital Partners agreed to buy a majority stake in DistroKid at a reported $2 billion. inMusic absorbed Native Instruments out of insolvency, and about 100 people lost their jobs after the sale, including everyone who answered support tickets.

What sold wasn't really companies. It was the answer to a question musicians have been asking since 1999: how do I put out a record without a label. For 20 years the answer was a handful of services that would take a small cut and otherwise stay out of the way. Those services worked. They also had owners, which meant they were always going to be for sale eventually.

There is an owner class in music that produces nothing. It does not write, play, engineer or press anything. It buys the road and charges the people who travel it.

Nobody asked the musicians. That's the whole point of owning the road: you don't need permission from the people on it.

I don't know if we can afford to save the music that's already been sold, but we can give musicians and fans a new path forward.

Full post at itsthesound.substack.com (link in bio).

#music #musician #indiemusic #distrokid #cdbaby #musicindustry #artistrights #SOUND A table headed "What changed hands this year," under a large heading reading "The answer to how you put out a record without a label." Three companies independent artists depend on, all of which changed owners or agreed to inside a few months. CD Baby, through its parent Downtown, to Universal Music Group for $775 million, closed February 2026. DistroKid, the upload button, to CVC Capital Partners at a reported $2 billion, agreed July 2026 and not yet closed. Native Instruments, the software producers build on, to inMusic out of insolvency, sold May 2026 with about 100 jobs cut. At the foot: "Nobody asked the musicians. That's the whole point of owning the road: You don't need permission from the people on it."

14

1

The blissful life ♡

3

105

Beat that.

606

109

Inspiration at every turn 🇵🇹 Lisbon & Cascais

105

5

Happy International Goalkeeper to all the incredibly talented and resilient goalkeepers I have crossed paths with! You deserve your day and keep inspiring me to wake up every day to do what I do 🧤⚽️
.
Check the last video to find out who my favorite goalkeeper is 👀
.
.
“A goalkeeper stands alone, but their strength is what unites the team. Haven’t you seen a team’s reaction when everyone has failed and their goalkeeper saves what could’ve been the conclusion of failure? It’s like a dose of energy drink just went straight into the entire team’s veins”.

3

25

Back in the game. #kidsgoingivyleague

617

100

Gratitude for the daily grind with our GK family ⚽️ 🧤

3

0

Victory through harmony

#districtelite #npsl

3

0

Happy Valentine's Day from Colby Men's Soccer! Share these Valentine's inspired cards with someone special!!

167

4

More memories from Maine

331

22