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IDOL (company)

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IDOL
Company typePrivate
IndustryDigital music distribution
Founded2006
FounderPascal Bittard
HeadquartersParis, France
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Pascal Bittard (Founder & CEO)
ProductsMusic distribution, Labelcamp (SaaS platform)
ServicesDigital distribution, analytics, rights management
Websitewww.idol.io

IDOL (stylized as IDOL; acronym for Independent Distribution OnLine) is a French music distribution company founded in February 2006 by Pascal Bittard in Paris. The company specializes in digital distribution services across all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon, for independent record labels and artists.[1]

History

[edit]

In February 2006, Pascal Bittard established IDOL in Paris.[2] Just a year later, in 2007, the company became the first digital distributor for the Atmosphériques, Dreyfus Jazz, and Kitsuné Musique labels.[1][3] In 2009, IDOL launched Labelcamp, the world's first tool to provide daily monitoring of digital distribution activity.[4]

IDOL began its international expansion in 2014 by opening an office in London.[5] The following year, the company partnered with PIAS for physical distribution in France.[6] In 2016, the company entered the United States market with offices in New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles, and in 2017 it opened a branch in Johannesburg, South Africa.[7][8]

In 2018, IDOL was among the first distributors to campaign for the "user-centric" revenue model alongside Deezer.[9][10]

From 2019 through 2024, IDOL achieved and maintained "preferred partner" status with Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.[11][12][13][14][15][16] In 2020, it established a branch in Berlin, Germany[17] and launched Getup, a playlist website that combines a streaming platform with the editorial direction of a music magazine.[18] In 2023 and 2024, Pascal Bittard was named one of Billboard's "100 International Power Players."[19][20] In 2025, IDOL received a nomination for Distributor of the Year at the Libera Awards.[21][22]

As of 2024, IDOL employs around 70 people.[15][23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Musique : Idol, l'autre succès français de la distribution numérique". Les Echos (in French). 16 June 2021. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  2. ^ Paine, Andre (18 March 2025). "Spotlight: Pascal Bittard, Founder and President, IDOL". Music Week. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  3. ^ "'Fake streams are nothing new, but the recordings business is only just waking up to the scale of the practice.'". Music Business Worldwide. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Republic Of Music affiliates with distribution management platform Labelcamp". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  5. ^ "French digital distributor IDOL lands in UK market". Music Business Worldwide. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  6. ^ "[Chronique] Digital music #35". frenchweb.fr (in French). 25 May 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  7. ^ "IDOL hires Sean Maxson as General Manager for North America". Music Business Worldwide. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  8. ^ "5 questions à Thibaut Mullings - Idol Africa". Music In Africa (in French). 29 November 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  9. ^ "« Le user centric va dans le sens de l'histoire » (Pascal Bittard, IDOL)". News Tank Culture (in French). Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  10. ^ Dredge, Stuart (11 September 2019). "Deezer steps up its efforts to introduce user-centric payments". Music Ally. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  11. ^ Resnikoff, Paul (29 March 2019). "Two Names Added to Spotify's 'Recommended Delivery Platforms' List". Digital Music News. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Apple Music Preferred Distributors - Apple Music Provider Support". itunespartner.apple.com. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Provider Directory – Spotify for Artists". artists.spotify.com. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  14. ^ Hennessy, Ulysse (25 February 2022). "Le professionnel du mois : Pascal Bittard". Billboard France (in French). Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  15. ^ a b "YouTube Services Directory | IDOL". YouTube Services Directory. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  16. ^ King, Ashley (3 February 2023). "Spotify's 'Preferred Distributor' List Now Includes 23 Companies". Digital Music News. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  17. ^ "IDOL hires Marit Posch as General Manager Germany". Music Business Worldwide. 22 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  18. ^ "Getup : Le nouveau site de playlists lancé par le distributeur numérique IDOL". SOCIAL MUSIC CAFÉ (in French). 24 April 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  19. ^ Duffy, Thom (25 April 2023). "Billboard's 2023 International Power Players Revealed". Billboard. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  20. ^ Duffy, Thom (29 April 2024). "Billboard's 2024 International Power Players Revealed". Billboard. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  21. ^ Grein, Paul (19 March 2025). "Shaboozey, Waxahatchee & More Lead 2025 Libera Awards Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  22. ^ "2025 Nominees". Libera Awards. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  23. ^ "IDOL inks two North American deals, appoints US Label Manager". The Independent Music Insider. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
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