Chris Swanson: AI in Music — Opportunity or Threat for Indie Artists?

Chris Swanson is the co-founder of Secretly Group, the influential independent music company behind labels including Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, and The Numero Group. Since co-founding Secretly Canadian in 1996, Chris has helped shape the modern indie label ecosystem and built Secretly Distribution into a global force for independent artists. He’s worked with groundbreaking acts like Bon Iver and has spent nearly three decades helping artists balance creativity, commerce, and long-term career sustainability in a rapidly evolving music industry.

In this episode, Chris breaks down how independent artists can navigate record labels, digital distribution, AI, and self-promotion—without losing their creativity or community.