CD Baby, Downtown Music’s direct-to-creator platform, has introduced Stages Selects, a new program aimed at providing high-level support for a select group of emerging independent artists.
The initiative marks a significant investment in artist development and reinforces CD Baby’s longstanding focus on helping independent musicians launch and grow their careers. The program includes priority distribution, targeted digital service provider marketing, paid digital campaign support, and strategic guidance for release planning and rollout.
More than a distribution offering, Stages Selects is designed as a full-service partnership, giving participating artists access to resources and support aimed to help them reach new audiences in a competitive global market.
The program launched with Morgan Nagler’s debut album, “I’ve Got Nothing to Lose, and I’m Losing It.” CD Baby plans to support 10 artists throughout 2026, providing each with a dedicated package of marketing and financial services. The initiative aims to foster diversity and excellence across genre, geography and generation.
“Morgan Nagler’s debut album is a testament to the power and passion of human creativity in this complicated time,” said Molly Neuman, president of CD Baby. “The purity of her voice, musicianship and songwriting make this album the perfect way for us to launch Stages Selects. CD Baby has always stood for artistry and providing direct access for the musicians we work with. We could not be more proud to kick off with Morgan Nagler and her team at Little Operation Records.”
“Working with CD Baby on Morgan’s debut album has already been a tremendous partnership as we’ve released three singles together over the course of the past year,” said Christian Stavros, founder of Little Operation. “We’re excited to see what we can build as we continue our collaboration and as Morgan continues to inspire us with her art.”
The launch comes as Downtown enters a new phase following its acquisition by Virgin Music Group earlier this year. CD Baby continues to serve as an entry point for self-releasing artists, now operating within a broader global platform that includes music publishing, distribution, artist and label services, and royalty and financial solutions.
Across its core divisions—Publishing, Distribution and Artist & Label Services, and CD Baby—Downtown Music serves clients in 145 countries.
About the Author
