Founded in 1997 as “Artists Without A Label,” AWAL revolutionized music distribution by offering artists label-level services while allowing them to retain ownership and creative control. Acquired by Sony Music Entertainment for $430 million in 2021, AWAL provides global marketing, A&R, playlist promotion, funding, and data analytics to independent artists. Operating under a tiered service model where artists keep up to 85% of revenue, AWAL has offices in 12 global cities including London, New York, and Mumbai, where they expanded in 2023.