Earwig Music Co

What Earwig Music Co does

Earwig Music Company, Inc. is a privately held independent record label and artist management company founded in October 1978 in Chicago by Michael Frank, who remains CEO. The company produces and releases new and reissue recordings by African American blues and jazz musicians, as well as folk storytelling, gospel, and world music artists, with a catalog of 55+ blues albums and 76+ total releases, including the 2006-acquired Bea & Baby Records catalog (101 tracks, 30+ artists, 1959-89). Core products include record label services (recording production, promotion, distribution), artist management and representation, digital distribution to Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, and hundreds of DSPs via partners including The Orchard and CPI Distribution, and physical distribution to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, indie record shops, and international outlets since 1979. Revenue streams span unit-priced physical and digital music sales (CDs $10-$17, vinyl, cassettes, digital downloads), recurring artist management fees, licensing and sync royalties, royalties administration, and manufacturing services.

The business model combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce (earwigmusic.com/shop-blues/) with multi-channel distribution through a global digital distributor, European partner Parsifal (Belgium), and physical retail. The newly launched Musicians Alchemist division (2024) extends beyond label services into B2C and B2B music career consulting and coaching, offering a free 30-minute discovery consultation followed by fee-based engagements; Steven Hausheer co-operates this division. Customer segments are primarily African American blues and jazz musicians, emerging independent artists in these traditions, and heritage folk storytelling artists, with go-to-market driven by sales-led acquisition (festival scouting, club visits, referrals, unsolicited submissions) and organic marketing through the company blog 'Life on the Blues Highway,' social media, email, and earned media. The company maintains Corporate Membership in The Blues Foundation and Voting Membership in The Recording Academy. Recent 2025 releases include Harvey Mandel's 'Snake Walk,' Rusty Ends' 'Roadhouses, Juke Joints and Honky-Tonks,' and Jim Brewer's archival 'Take It Easy Greasy.'

Name

Earwig Music Co

Legal name

Earwig Music Company, Inc.

Website

https://earwigmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Earwig Music Company is a Chicago-based independent record label and artist management company founded in 1978, serving African American blues, jazz, and folk musicians with recording production, physical and digital distribution, marketing, licensing, and career consulting services through its core label and Musicians Alchemist division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Record Label & Artist Management

NAICS

Record Production and Distribution (51225)

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro primary industry

Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trailer Music & Promo Music Providers (MPAIALAH)

Keywords

• Independent record label
• Artist management services
• Blues music releases
• Music distribution services
• Music career consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Music Sales (Physical and Digital): Sale of CDs, digital downloads, cassettes, LPs, 45 vinyl, and bundles through the company's own e-commerce store and through distribution partners reaching Amazon, Barnes & Noble, indie shops, international outlets, and DSPs worldwide.
2. Artist Management Fees: Management fees charged to artists for career representation, booking, production, promotion, and distribution services.
3. Consulting and Coaching Services: Music career consulting and coaching services offered through the Musicians Alchemist division, including business planning, branding, social media strategy, and career roadmap development. Services include a free initial consultation followed by fee-based engagements.
4. Licensing and Sync: Revenue from placing music in TV, film, ads, and video games through partnerships with sync specialists.
5. Royalties Administration: Administration of streaming, sync, licensing, and performance rights royalties for artists, with monitoring, reporting, and payment collection through trusted administrative partners.
6. Manufacturing Services: Manufacturing of CDs, vinyl, and DVDs for artists through trusted long-term manufacturing partners, overseeing the process from test pressings to final delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Earwig Music Company, Inc. is an independent record label and artist management firm that produces and releases recordings by African American blues, jazz, folk, and world music artists, and provides full-service music marketing, distribution, licensing/sync, royalties administration, and career consulting services. Its catalog of more than 76 albums, including the acquired Bea & Baby Records catalog, is sold directly through its e-commerce store and distributed through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, indie shops, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, and hundreds of DSPs. The Musicians Alchemist division delivers one-on-one music career coaching and consulting.

Product overview

Earwig Music Co is an independent record label and artist management company founded in 1978, operating as a single unified business with integrated record label and service offerings. The company operates a record label producing and releasing blues, jazz, folk, and world music recordings through its core Shop The Blues e-commerce storefront, while providing ancillary music career services including digital and physical distribution, licensing/sync, royalties administration, radio promotion, publicity, social media management, design, manufacturing, and engineering. The Musicians Alchemist division offers personalized career consulting and coaching. The company distributes music through streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, DSPs) and physical retail (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, indie shops), with physical distribution operational since 1979. Notable products include the Cadillac Baby's Bea & Baby Records box set and releases by artists like Harvey Mandel, Jim Brewer, and Rusty Ends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Musicians Alchemist: A division of Earwig Music providing music career consulting, coaching, and artist development services including refining songs, stage presence, brand identity, fan engagement, and business planning.

Products and services

• Record Label Services Independent record label producing and releasing new recordings and reissues by African American blues, jazz, folk, gospel, and world music artists, with a catalog exceeding 76 albums including 55 blues albums.
• Artist Management Artist management and representation services for blues, jazz, and traditional folk musicians, including career consulting, booking, production, promotion, and touring support.
• Digital Distribution Global digital music distribution placing tracks on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, and hundreds of DSPs with detailed analytics and quarterly royalty payments.
• Physical Distribution

Quantifiable outcome

• Grammy Award, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and NEA Heritage Fellowship Award achieved by Honeyboy Edwards under Earwig management
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Parsifal (Belgium)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean distributor for Earwig Music recordings, operating from Brugge, Belgium. Recommended as an alternative for international customers due to high USPS shipping rates to countries outside North America. Ships from Belgium, offering a cost-effective option for European customers.
• The OrchardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital and physical distribution partner referenced on product pages. The Orchard is a major music distribution company handling catalog distribution for Earwig releases.
• CPI DistributionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPhysical distribution partner referenced on product pages. CPI Distribution handles physical product distribution for Earwig Music releases.
• Radio Promotion PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTrusted radio promotion partners who reach college, community, specialty, and commercial radio stations. Earwig Music works with these partners to design custom radio promotion plans for releases and manage the pitching process.
• Experienced PublicistsGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partnerships with experienced publicists to secure reviews, interviews, and features in print, digital, and broadcast outlets for Earwig artists.
• Sync SpecialistscoreTechnology or IntegrationExperienced sync specialists who shop Earwig artists' songs for placement in TV, film, ads, and video games. They negotiate terms and manage the entire sync licensing process.
• Global Digital DistributorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal distributor partner that places Earwig tracks on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, and hundreds of DSPs worldwide. Provides detailed analytics and quarterly royalty payments.
• Bob Koester (Delmark Records / Jazz Record Mart)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwner of Delmark Records and the Jazz Record Mart. After encouragement from Bob Koester, Michael Frank started the Earwig Music label in 1978. Koester is credited as a mentor figure in Earwig's founding.
• The Blues FoundationcoreOthersThe Blues Foundation is a membership organization that Earwig Music is affiliated with as a Corporate Member. The foundation provides industry recognition including the Keeping The Blues Alive Awards.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• VizzTone Records: Smaller independent blues label with digital-first distribution model. Emerging player comparable to Earwig in blues focus but competing via newer digital artist-friendly distribution rather than traditional physical channels.

Direct peers

• Blind Pig Records: San Francisco-based independent blues label founded in 1977, releases contemporary blues, roots, and Americana. Comparable to Earwig as a peer independent blues label with similar era, artist development approach, and genre focus, though with broader contemporary blues roster.
• JSP Records: UK-based independent blues and jazz label with extensive reissue catalog. Comparable to Earwig in heritage blues/jazz catalog approach and independent label operations, particularly in archival reissue programs like Earwig's Bea & Baby Records acquisition.
• M.C. Records: New York-based independent blues label with focus on traditional and acoustic blues. Similar niche heritage-blues focus and small-label artist development model to Earwig, with comparable scale and catalog depth.
• Stony Plain Records: Edmonton, Canada-based independent blues and roots label founded in 1976. Comparable to Earwig in blues specialization, indie scale, and artist management philosophy, with strong catalog of heritage and contemporary blues artists.
• Rounder Records: Independent roots music label founded in 1970, spanning blues, folk, bluegrass, and Americana. Comparable to Earwig in independent roots music focus and artist development heritage, though with broader genre coverage and significantly larger catalog and distribution scale.
• Severn Records: Annapolis, Maryland-based independent blues and roots label founded in 1987. Comparable to Earwig in independent blues label operations, artist roster approach, and heritage/contemporary blues focus, though with more R&B/soul crossover.
• Delmark Records: Chicago-based independent jazz and blues label founded in 1953, the oldest continuously operating jazz/blues label in the U.S. Bob Koester of Delmark mentored Michael Frank and encouraged him to start Earwig in 1978. Highly comparable genre specialization and Chicago blues heritage focus.
• Alligator Records: Chicago-based independent blues record label founded in 1971, one of the largest and most prominent independent blues labels in the world. Closely comparable to Earwig in genre focus, Chicago roots, and artist management approach, though significantly larger in catalog and commercial scale.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Folkways Recordings: Non-profit record label of the Smithsonian Institution specializing in folk, blues, and American roots music with deep archival catalog. Comparable to Earwig in folk storytelling and heritage blues releases, but with mission-driven non-profit scale and institutional backing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDqia8Z1qwmcAt5JzI2DNrw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earwig-music-co

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earwig Music Co