How Pomplamoose Got Lucky With Apple’s iTunes

Pomplamoose: Getting lucky with iTunes.

This story appears in the May 7, 2012 issue of Forbes Magazine, on newsstands now.

While most indie acts use a distributor like INgrooves, a plucky few have launched successful careers without a middleman—including Jack Conte, 27, and Nataly Dawn, 25, of Pom­pla­moose in Sonoma, Calif.

The duo gained Internet fame by covering songs originally recorded by ­Be­yoncé and Lady Gaga, playing all the instruments and singing all vocals themselves. In 2010 employe...