Composer laureate of Salem, Massachusetts
20 March 2024

Apple Purée

The CD Baby Classical Conspiracy


    I'm just noticing that some of my older catalog descriptions still cite CD Baby as a distributor. These entries need to be revised. I stopped doing business with CD Baby and you should too.
    Some years ago, I had an issue with CD Baby employees downloading releases without authorization and sharing them on bootleg sites. I know this because these included certain singles that were exclusively released on CD Baby. I have not had this problem since I switched to DistroKid, even with DistroKid's far cheaper pricing system.
    Unfortunately, there is one other issue that I have had since terminating my service with CD Baby. Apparently, they have an exclusive contract with Apple Music's classical division. If I upload a new release through DistroKid and categorize it as classical, a note on the input page informs me that it will not be accepted by Apple. Thus, some of my releases are only available on alternate streaming sties, one of the reasons I have taken what some would consider a pariah stance in endorsing Spotify over Apple.
    To make further argument against Apple (ironically still my preferred OS), there is the notorious iTunes Style Guide, which attempts to enforce its fascist standards on the other distributors. I had a couple of releases being rejected altogether by DistroKid on the premise of rejection by a single service which DistroKid refused to specify. I submitted one of the rejected release to ReverbNation who also rejected it albeit with an explanation of the iTunes Style Guide, an asinine document that has to be read to be believed. After I argued that Apple does not have authority over the other services, ReverbNation allowed me to resubmit the release without the inclusion of Apple.
    For a while, I would get around the Apple issue on DistroKid by submitting releases without the inclusion of Apple, then adding Apple as a new store after the release was approved and active. Someone eventually caught on and now DistroKid prevents one from adding Apple later, forcing one to delete and resubmit the entire release if they want to add Apple.
    Returning to CD Baby, if you are really that desperate to use their service, absolutely do not use their Performing Rights Organization service when uploading a new release as doing so will give them publishing rights. You can register with a PRO directly without using CD Baby as a middleman. To this day, one of my albums registered with BMI has CD Baby listed as the publisher on all the tracks, meaning that they are entitled to royalties even though I cancelled my account five years ago. On a related note, BMI has not acknowledged multiple requests to remove CD Baby as the publisher even though I submitted documentation by certified mail, so I do not recommend BMI as a PRO.
    Do with this info what thou wilt. Namahalom.

 

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