# Jon Baltz

> Jon Baltz is a music-industry founder and operator who co-founded INDMUSIC in 2011, helped turn YouTube rights management into revenue for independent artists, spent eight years operating the business inside Live Nation, relaunched it independently as Distro Nation in 2024, and joined Symphonic as Head of UGC & Rights Management after its 2026 acquisition of the company.

- **Role:** Head of UGC & Rights Management at Symphonic
- **Organizations:** Movement Booking, INDMUSIC, Live Nation Entertainment, Distro Nation, Symphonic
- **Education:** Marketing degree; minor in History, University of North Carolina Wilmington
- **Known for:** Co-founded INDMUSIC in 2011 and helped build its YouTube rights-management operation for independent music., Helped monetize eligible user-generated 'Harlem Shake' videos for rights holder Mad Decent during the meme's 2013 surge., Guided the same specialist operation through an acquisition by Live Nation, an eight-year corporate chapter, and a 2024 return to independence as Distro Nation.

## Career timeline

- **2002-2010** — Worked with independent musicians in booking, touring, management, promotion, venue operations, and strategy.
- **2011** — Co-founded INDMUSIC, a YouTube network for independent music, and served as vice president.
- **2013** — INDMUSIC managed and monetized eligible user-generated videos using Baauer's 'Harlem Shake' for Mad Decent as the meme generated 103 million monetizable views in one week.
- **2016** — INDMUSIC was acquired by Live Nation and became Live Nation Video Network; Baltz continued with the operation.
- **2024** — After eight years at Live Nation, launched Distro Nation as an independent music distribution company for artists who control their rights.
- **2026** — Symphonic acquired Distro Nation; Baltz joined as Head of UGC & Rights Management.

## Achievements

- Co-founded INDMUSIC in 2011 and helped build its YouTube rights-management operation for independent music.
- Helped monetize eligible user-generated 'Harlem Shake' videos for rights holder Mad Decent during the meme's 2013 surge.
- Guided the same specialist operation through an acquisition by Live Nation, an eight-year corporate chapter, and a 2024 return to independence as Distro Nation.
- Built Distro Nation's network to support more than 200 artists before its 2026 acquisition by Symphonic.
- Joined Symphonic in 2026 to lead user-generated content and rights management.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Featured by Symphonic as Head of UGC & Rights Management and an expert for its August 26 'Get Paid on YouTube' masterclass for independent artists.
- **2026-03** — Joined Symphonic as Head of UGC & Rights Management when Symphonic acquired Distro Nation; deal terms were not disclosed.
- **2024-05** — Distro Nation announced a partnership with RoyFi focused on fair and transparent royalty advances for artists.

## Links

- Website: https://distro-nation.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-baltz-11264918

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jon-baltz
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-26