A new partnership between ROSTR and American Association of Independent Music aims to close one of the music industry’s most persistent gaps: visibility into the independent sector.

Announced Monday, the deal integrates A2IM’s member base directly into ROSTR’s platform, adding more than 400 companies and tens of thousands of new data points. The result is a significantly expanded dataset designed to help agents, managers, promoters, and executives more easily discover and connect with independent labels and their artists.

“Independent labels are the backbone of musical discovery, and they deserve the same quality of data and tools that major players have long had access to,” said ROSTR’s Chief Growth Officer Vivian Wang Donohue. “Our partnership with A2IM is a step toward making that a reality.”

For ROSTR, the partnership marks a strategic shift beyond its core strength in live music data.

“A2IM represents the biggest conglomerate of labels and label entities in North America, hands down,” Donohue said in an interview. “This is our first partnership with the recorded industry, which is a big deal for us. We’ve been so entrenched in live, and this is our first foray into not live.”

That expansion is immediate and tangible. With A2IM’s member list now integrated, ROSTR users gain access to a broader network of label contacts, executive profiles, and organizational relationships across the independent ecosystem.

“When we did this partnership, we brought over 400 additional companies, and with them comes more contacts,” Donohue said. “People can now quickly find independent artists and labels… it gives a lot more connectivity and visibility into independence, which is huge.”

Historically, much of the industry’s structured data—from signings to team relationships—has skewed toward major labels. ROSTR’s database has tracked that activity extensively, but the indie side has remained less visible.

That’s beginning to change.

“We’re going to start ingesting all the independent signings,” Donohue said. “Right now most of our signings are the majors… now we’re going to get the independents as well.”

To support that, the platform is rolling out a dedicated submissions queue exclusively for A2IM members, allowing labels to easily upload new signings and roster updates.

“We know those teams run lean and mean—there’s five people working at a label versus 500,” Donohue said. “So we needed to make it really easy for them to send us their signings.”

The scale of the new data is already significant. “We’ve added over 30,000 data points from these 400 new companies,” she noted. “Which is massive.”

Beyond simply adding data, ROSTR is also reworking how that information is surfaced.

A new “Independent Labels” filter within the platform’s Companies Directory will allow users to quickly identify and explore indie operators. That functionality will also extend across artist and signings directories, ensuring indie activity is fully integrated into broader discovery tools.

“Now they’re going to be able to quickly find and connect with independent artists because one, they’re on the platform,” Donohue said. “And two, we created a filter… so if you want to work with an independent label, there’s a quick way to find them now.”

That usability focus reflects a larger goal: turning raw data into actionable industry connections.

“We have all this data—now how do you surface it in an effective and efficient way?” Donohue said. “What people do on ROSTR—they’re doing business.”

The partnership also includes financial incentives for both sides. A2IM members will receive 50% off ROSTR Pro subscriptions, unlocking access to global contact directories, touring data, and artist insights. In return, ROSTR users gain discounted access to A2IM’s Star Certification program, which recognizes independent releases based on album-equivalent activity.

On the analytics front, the two organizations plan to collaborate on a series of joint industry reports, combining ROSTR’s platform data with A2IM’s institutional knowledge. These reports are expected to shed light on trends in independent signings, talent movement, and market dynamics—areas that have historically lacked comprehensive tracking.

At its core, the partnership is about leveling the informational playing field between major and independent sectors.

ROSTR has long positioned itself as a transparency engine for the industry, mapping relationships between artists, managers, agents, and labels. By bringing A2IM’s network into that system, the company is effectively extending that transparency to a segment that has often operated with less visibility.

“We’re the only place really in this industry that is tracking artist signings,” Donohue said. With independent music continuing to grow its share of the global market, that visibility could prove increasingly valuable—not just for discovery, but for dealmaking, touring, and long-term career development.

And for ROSTR, it signals a broader evolution.

“This is about making sure the broader industry can actually do business with the independent community,” Donohue said. “That’s the goal.”