Kevin Woo performs at the Woodfield Mall in Chicago, March 2025. Photo credit: Fulton Haney
Breaking into the music industry has never been easy, and for the modern independent artist, the climb can feel even steeper. Building a music career today requires creativity in how to reach new audiences, book tour dates, and deliver a live show that stands out.
Thankfully, companies like Greater Than Distribution and Sennheiser are here to help. As a distribution and artist development house, Greater Than Distribution is reimagining the idea of a successful tour. Instead of focusing on traditional concert venues, their recent run brought their large roster of artists into shopping malls. Sennheiser, meanwhile, has spent over 80 years supporting and empowering independent musicians with its microphone technology—and its e 835 and e 845 models were front and center on this tour.
By choosing spaces that naturally draw a lot of people, Greater Than opened doors to new markets. Though malls can present some technical challenges, it was worth it to give audience members a chance to connect with emerging talent in fun and unexpected ways.
The company's Co-CEO, Paula Moore, and Head of Marketing & Partnerships, Carolyn Metcalfe, recently took the time to discuss the tour. From Greater Than's unique approach to the music industry to working with Sennheiser, they explain how it all works toward giving emerging artists touring experience while creating a new way to grow their careers.
Greater Than Distribution is unique in a changing industry. What inspired you to create the company?
Moore: I've been in the major label A&R space and marketing, worked with festivals and brands my entire 30-year career. But, in 2023, I wanted to start a new company that would look and feel like the music company I always thought I was going to work for. I knew there was no reason to start a new music company unless we were going to do something different. I wanted to support emerging artists in a meaningful way.
How do you define Greater Than's mission, and what makes it different in today's industry?
Moore: Our goal as a music distribution company is to be a modern music company and look at things in a more effective, efficient, and productive path for our artists.
For example, we're the only music company in the global music industry that has brought a non-recoupable promotional tour to life. That means, [our artists] do not have to pay anything back. They get paid a performance fee, and we pay for everything else.
Having a music company that cares about them getting those opportunities is really what our goal is. We want to be a curated music distribution and artist development company, combined with creating experiential opportunities for our company's visibility, to connect with fans globally, and help artists connect with fans.
You also offer programs for people wanting to break into music marketing. Tell me about that.
We have a launchpad program for creative professionals, where they can get hands-on experience with our artists. Carolyn came through that program after she graduated university, and she now heads up our marketing.
Actually, our team is filled with people that came from our programs. They learned how to work within our system, learned the infrastructure of the Virgin Music System, and can truly be operators.
What do you look for when signing a new artist?
Moore: Their music has to be great. There has to be some sort of connection with a fan base that's in development. And, obviously, great songwriting and being musically talented are all factors that are necessary to sign an artist. But I think the most important thing is that they are hardworking and they want to succeed.
We don't really look at their age. That doesn't matter to us. And we are a multi-genre company. We signed this really cool label from Alabama that's basically a blues and country label. We signed a Christian rap label out of Chicago. We're just trying to look at the big picture of how we can be a cool, creative, curated roster that gives opportunities to artists who can't get that support from any other distributor or music label.