In this episode, Molly Neuman joins Michael Nevins to share how CD Baby has changed (and what’s coming next), why the artist “DIY” journey is way more complex than people think, and how platforms earn trust when the experience is intuitive and fair. They also get into the pressure artists feel to do everything (music, content, business), and why it’s worth being honest about what success can look like.

Along the way: Riot Grrrl, music scenes, and community-building; drumming as both craft and metaphor (multiple limbs / multiple priorities); and the mindset Molly uses to navigate a long, evolving career in music and tech.

00:00 – Kick & Snare intro

00:18 – Meet Molly Neuman (CD Baby President)

02:43 – Squiggly careers

04:53 – What CD Baby does today (and why “DIY” is more complex than it sounds)

06:59 – Molly’s Downtown journey: Songtrust → CMO → CD Baby

08:58 – Repositioning CD Baby: infrastructure, operations, and competing in a crowded market

11:24 – “By artists, for artists” + modern artist needs (global scale, new expectations)

12:38 – UX is the brand: why product experience beats logos

14:05 – Labels as filters: identity, taste, and trust (Discord, scenes, discovery)

18:26 – Labels as filters: identity, taste, and trust (Discord, scenes, discovery)

22:40 – Scenes, movements, and Riot Grrrl: how it grew (and what it wasn’t)

37:15 – Representation and visibility: why it changes people’s lives

42:12 – Career growth via new environments (Kickstarter lessons, scaling Songtrust)

44:36 – Untapped opportunity: supporting more women creators

45:51 – Getting her start as a drummer: learning by watching the kick drum

52:28 – Getting better in your 50s

53:51 – Drumming and leadership: multitasking, anticipation, staying in time

55:36 – Artist tools: being real about what artists need now

58:05 – What Molly’s listening to right now + closing