Best Buy has just finalized an online distribution agreement with independent retailer CD Baby. The partnership positions CD Baby’s extensive catalog of over 100,000 independent CDs within the Best Buy website, and further broadens the audience for unsigned and indie content. “This will highlight the most amazing musicians in all genres of music, that are bypassing the record labels to sell directly from musician to fan,” CD Baby founder Derek Sivers said following the announcement. The CD Baby catalog will be featured on the front door of the music section of BestBuy.com.

Best Buy is a fairly mainstream outlet, so it is unclear just how many music fans will tap into the CD Baby catalog. But the deal gives Best Buy far more depth than a simple collection of chart-toppers, and makes good use of the infinite shelf space that e-commerce permits. If nothing else, the deal gives Best Buy excellent breadth, and a more serious music reputation. For CD Baby and its artists, the deal broadens the potential buyer pool immensely, creating a low-risk distribution opportunity.

Taken from Digitalmusicnews.com