{
  "id": 7861906,
  "title": "Music Distribution, Explained: And Why It Matters More Than Ever for Independent Artists",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/music-distribution-explained-and-why-it-matters-more-than-ever-for",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-16T19:46:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Variety",
    "slug": "variety",
    "url": "https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/how-music-distribution-works-distrokid-sign-up-online-1236864648/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The music industry has never had fewer gatekeepers. Independent artists are increasingly releasing music without traditional label deals, while established acts have more options for retaining ownership and control over their recordings. In 2025, more than a third of artists who generated at least $10,000 in Spotify royalties were DIY artists — meaning they self-released […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}