Samantha Moore, president of independent distributor SpaceHeater, argues that recent acquisitions and mergers are shrinking the pool of genuinely independent, full-service music distributors. She says this matters because labels and catalogue owners outside the major-label system may increasingly struggle to find partners that combine technology, commercial reach and hands-on support without major-company ownership or conflicting incentives.

Moore highlights five deals announced between December 2024 and July 2026: Virgin Music Group’s purchase of Downtown and FUGA, Concord’s planned acquisition of Stem, Warner’s acquisition of Revelator, the proposed BMG–Concord merger valued at about $15 billion, and CVC’s majority investment in DistroKid. Drawing on nearly 12 years in major-owned and independent distribution, she argues that consolidation favours scale while the service needs of mid-tier catalogues remain specialised, making truly independent distributors rarer and potentially more valuable.