Executive Interview Series: Fer Isella, Co-Founder & CEO, Limbo Music

Leadership & Vision

Q: You serve on boards and initiatives like Merlin, Earth/Percent, and the Recording Academy. How do those roles influence your perspective on the future of the independent music ecosystem?

“My participation on boards such as Merlin, Earth/Percent, and the Latin Recording Academy has taught me something fundamental: beyond the different roles in the music industry, record labels, producers, and nonprofit organizations, there exists a powerful common thread that unites us all: music as an essential vehicle for human communication.

What has been most revealing is discovering that, although we work with music professionals from all geographies, we face remarkably similar challenges throughout the world. This diversity allows us to find common ground and propose solutions enriched by the different perspectives and realities of each region.”

Q: From your perspective, what are the biggest opportunities for independent leaders to shape a healthier, more equitable music industry?

“For independent leaders, the greatest opportunity lies in supporting each other on this journey. The DIY world can be tremendously lonely, both in success and in failure. That’s why it’s crucial to break away from the insularity of our industry and expand into other sectors: video games, film, design, and technology.

Genuine networking, not merely commercial, is fundamental. Leading with humility and generosity is the key to building an independent music industry that maintains its autonomy while remaining deeply connected to the global creative ecosystem.”

Company Identity & Strategy

Q: Limbo Music was founded to be more than a traditional distributor. How has the company evolved, and what space do you see it filling in the digital music economy today?

“limbo/ was born 20 years ago when I returned to Buenos Aires after studying on Fulbright and Berklee scholarships in Boston and living seven years in New York. I encountered a Latin American territory where the digital realm had not yet been integrated with any industry, especially music. It was the moment of Facebook and MySpace’s birth, and I simply wanted to create a home where independent musicians could be nurtured.”

Q: Sustainability and equity are core to your mission. What does it look like to embed those values into the day-to-day decisions of a tech-driven company?

“As a technologist at heart, my interest in technology came first, then music; I found my ideal space in the confluence of both. We were the first distributors in Latin America to sign with iTunes. We began humbly by digitizing CDs from musician friends on a PC, and today we operate an advanced RESTful API and the first conversational analytics platform for DSPs via our brand-new MCP server, serving record labels around the world.

Financial transparency was and continues to be our vital core. We have always sought creativity to have a real and sustainable economic outcome for the independent industry.”

Innovation & the Future of Music Distribution

Q: The music industry is entering a new era of streaming and rights management. What challenges do you see on the horizon, and how is Limbo preparing to meet them?

“We face a possible radical transformation of intellectual property. With the advent of artificial intelligence, I believe it is in doubt more than ever whether intellectual property will survive in its current form.

However, there is hope: AI is trained on the past we built. What we create today and tomorrow will not be part of its training if we adequately protect our work. We need firm awareness, solid legal knowledge, and technical preparation. The black swan has already arrived. Adapt or die.”

Q: How can independent companies use technology not only to scale, but also to empower artists and rightsholders in a rapidly shifting landscape?

“Unfortunately, the industry did not adopt blockchain when we could have, losing a crucial opportunity for metadata attribution, which translates into credits so that each creator can collect what they are owed. Blockchain remains fundamental for the future of rights and transparent monetization.

The industry also needs greater integration and standardization of best practices among the DDEX formats of all digital streaming services (DSPs).”

Sustainability & Social Impact

Q: Limbo has partnered with initiatives like Earth/Percent to align music distribution with climate action. How do you choose partnerships, and what role can collaboration play in driving systemic change?

“limbo/ has always had a fundamental social change component. We have created events with organizations like UnConvention and the British Council, training professionals globally about the independent music industry.

Currently, working with Brian Eno at Earth/Percent, we give voice to nature by monetizing content for nonprofit funds that combat climate change. We don’t want to remain at the level of words: we have raised more than $250,000 in just a year and a half for the UN Live Fund, giving voice to “NATURE” on all digital platforms while collaborating with real human artists.

When choosing collaborations, we seek alignment of values with the founders. We work with maximum depth, transparency, and common objectives. We always think long-term: we have zero employee turnover, stable clients, and lasting partnerships. Always thinking about long-term partnerships.”

Q: You’ve been vocal about fairer participation for underrepresented creators, especially from Latin America and the Global South. What systemic changes are needed to create a more inclusive music economy?

“To empower markets like the Global South and Latin America, the key lies in collaboration and open minds willing to create new trends, like Brazilian phonk, Latin trap, or Afrobeat. Original creators must have their copyrights in order, both authorial and phonographic, to guarantee their independent future and resist the temptation of investment funds that treat them as numbers on a spreadsheet.”

Q: Limbo builds sustainability into its infrastructure, rather than treating it as an add-on. Can you share examples of how that philosophy shapes your tech and operations?

“We have developed tools where analytics are not merely visual. We created an AI MCP server that allows professionals and musicians to query their data conversationally in real time through artificial intelligence connected directly with the APIs of all our services, with the ability to create custom graphics as well as receive marketing strategy recommendations for their catalog.

Data is power. The major record companies know this. Independent artists need tools just as good or better to empower themselves with their information and direct their own destiny. For us, independence means freedom.”

Q: Some might see sustainability as a moral imperative, but you’ve also framed it as a competitive advantage. Why do you believe long-term success in the independent sector depends on embracing sustainability?

“Music cannot survive on a planet that doesn’t exist. We need to unite as human beings, beyond musical genres, ethnicities, or nationalities, to confront the most important and urgent challenges facing humanity.

Sustainability is not only a moral imperative: it is our competitive advantage and the guarantee of a future where independent music can flourish.”