n today’s music landscape, independence is both a blessing and a burden. Artists now have the freedom to create, upload, and promote music without the traditional gatekeepers of the past, but this freedom often comes at a cost: lack of guidance. While anyone can release a song, very few artists understand how to structure a rollout, submit to DSPs strategically, build a brand ecosystem, or plan a long-term career arc. The gap between releasing music and building a music career is wider than most people realize and that widening gap is exactly what inspired the creation of I Swim With Sharks Inc.
For years, Andre Williams observed independent artists struggling not because they lacked talent, but because they lacked infrastructure. In his roles at RAYDAR, Epic Records, Universal Music Group, and later as a Spotify music business advisor, he noticed a pattern: artists were told to “stay independent,” but no one was giving them the blueprint for how to do independence successfully. They had passion, creativity, and ambition — but not the systems, teams, or industry knowledge that major-label artists have by default. Andre saw artists with hit potential fizzle out because they didn’t know how to structure campaigns or leverage the digital tools available to them.
That realization became the philosophical foundation for I Swim With Sharks Inc. Instead of building another distribution platform that simply uploads music to DSPs, Andre envisioned a company that provided independent artists with high-level strategy, major-label resources, and long-term development support without sacrificing ownership or creative freedom. ISWS would operate as a hybrid: part distribution company, part strategic development hub, part mentorship ecosystem. It would become the missing link between where artists are and where they could be, if given the right guidance.
The result was a boutique, development-focused distribution company built to help artists grow sustainably in an industry that often consumes them. ISWS is not a factory it’s an incubator. It’s built on negotiation, consistency, artist education, and a commitment to elevating artists beyond what they can see for themselves. With partnerships spanning Roc Nation Distribution, The Orchard, KMG, and Symphonic, ISWS stands at the crossroads of independence and global opportunity. And at the center of it all is Andre Williams, whose vision for the company was shaped by decades of experience, relationships, and a deep understanding of what artists truly need.
What inspired you and the other executives to launch I Swim With Sharks Inc., and what gap were you aiming to fill for independent artists?
I Swim With Sharks Inc. was born from a clear truth: independent artists were drowning in opportunity but starving for structure. Andre and his executive team saw that artists were great at creating music but struggled to navigate distribution systems, marketing strategy, analytics, playlist development, content planning, and career architecture. The music was strong the foundation was weak. ISWS set out to fix exactly that by giving artists a team, a system, and a blueprint that could support them far beyond their next release.
The executives behind ISWS recognized that while “DIY culture” is marketed as liberating, it often leaves artists confused and overwhelmed. Artists were uploading music through distribution platforms but receiving no guidance on rollouts, no coaching on their brand story, no roadmap for releases, no insight into DSP strategy, and no support for growth beyond a single track. This gap is where careers fail. ISWS was built to close it. Instead of offering just a distribution link, the company offers structure calendars, deadlines, press planning, marketing systems, visual strategy, and continuous development feedback. That’s the infrastructure most independent artists don’t know they’re missing until they experience it.
Another major inspiration behind ISWS was the need for credible industry support in a landscape full of scams, misinformation, and low-quality marketing services. Artists are constantly approached by fake playlist offers, overpriced PR companies, and “coaches” who have never built a successful career themselves. ISWS was designed as the antidote: a legitimate, transparent, strategic company with real industry relationships, real experience, and real distribution partnerships. By partnering with Roc Nation Distribution, The Orchard, KMG, and Symphonic, ISWS gives artists access to global platforms typically reserved for label-signed artists but without the restrictive contracts.
At its core, the company was launched to give independent artists the tools they need to swim with sharks not to be eaten by them. Andre and his team wanted to create a place where artists could receive major-label-level guidance while retaining independence, ownership, and creative control. The goal wasn’t just to put out music; it was to build careers. The gap wasn’t just structural it was cultural. Artists needed guidance, mentorship, clarity, and strategic leadership, and ISWS was created to provide those things with excellence and integrity.
Ultimately, I Swim With Sharks Inc. represents a shift in the music industry one where independent artists are no longer left to figure everything out on their own. Instead, they can partner with a company that understands both the art and the business, and that’s committed to helping them grow into the artists they dream of becoming. ISWS was built to be the bridge between independence and impact, and for many artists, it’s the first time they’ve had a team that believes in them as much as they believe in themselves.
Learn more by visiting:
🌐 https://www.iswimwithsharksinc.com
📲 IG: @iswimwithsharksincofficial
