Independent music

Last updated May 24, 2024

Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a style of music that is characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originally grew out of the freedoms afforded by independent record labels.

Characteristics

Although "Indie" was first used to described music released on independent record labels, the term grew to describe a specific sound.^[1] A defining characteristic of indie music is that artists retain much more creative control over their music as compared to major labels.^[1] Bands often have small budgets, and employ a do-it-yourself ethos which influences their sound.^[2] Indie music generally represents guitar-oriented music which strays away from commercial conventions.^[1] It often features lyrics that are earnest and emotive, with many cultural and sociopolitical references.^[1] Many artists signed to major labels have retained creative control and are still considered indie artists.^[2]

History

Origins of independent labels

Independent labels have a long history of promoting developments in popular music, stretching back to the post-war period in the United States, with labels such as Sun Records, King Records, and Stax.^[3] In the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s, the major record companies had so much power that independent labels struggled to become established, until the launch of new concepts like Virgin Records.^[4] Several British producers and artists launched independent labels as outlets for their work and artists they liked; the majority failed as commercial ventures or were bought by the major labels.^[3]

Emergence as a style

During the punk rock era, the number of independent labels grew.^[3] In 1977, Manchester-band Buzzcocks released Spiral Scratch , considered the first independently released rock release.^[5] In the late 1970s, certain UK independent labels (such as Rough Trade, Factory, Fiction, and Mute) contributed to the emergence of a distinct musical style found in indie music, influenced by post-punk and new wave.^[1] Important albums that contributed to this style include Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Depeche Mode's Speak & Spell (1981).^[1] Released on Rough Trade, Inflammable Material (1979) was the first independently-released album to sell over 100,000 copies.^[5] By the 80s, the indie pop band The Smiths, signed with Rough Trade, "came to exemplify indie both musically and culturally" according to The Conversation.^[1] The Smith's authentic sound contrasted with the common highly produced pop music of the time.^[1]

The UK Indie Chart was first compiled in 1980, and independent distribution became better organized from the late 1970s onward.^[6] In 1986, NME released the compilation album C86 , which was influential to the spread of indie music.^[5] In the United States, independent music was first spread by in the 80s by college radios and thus dubbed college rock (also later termed modern rock and alternative rock).^[7] Defining American albums of this era include Sonic Youth 's Daydream Nation (1988) and Pixies’ Doolittle (1989).^[5] However, unlike the UK, this music was not referred to as "indie" until the 00s.^[7]

Indie music reached wide commercial success in the 1990s, especially with Britpop, with bands like Blur, Pulp, and Oasis receiving worldwide acclaim.^[1] As well, American grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and The Smashing Pumpkins received mainstream success.^[5] In 1991, the Grammys added an Alternative section for "non-traditional form[s]" existing "outside of the mainstream music consciousness".^[7]

21st century

The internet's ease of spreading information influenced indie music's global spread and popularization in the United States.^[7] Music fans no longer relied on publications or magazines to hear about new artists.^[7] At the beginning of the 21st century, the term indie came to describe a number of related but distinct subgenres.^[1] One example is indie folk, a stripped-back low fidelity approach to folk music, as seen in Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver.^[1] Widely popular indie rock bands of this era include Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys.^[1] By this time, the term indie had transcended the definition of solely independently released music, and came to represent a "general resistance to popular and mainstream culture, evoking realism, independence and authenticity".^[1]

Independent record labels

An independent record label is one that operates outside of the funding and creative control of major record labels. Independent labels generally have greater creative freedom, at the cost of smaller budgets and personnel.^[8] Independent labels are often able to support artists working in niche styles of music,^[9] and rely heavily on personal networking, or word of mouth, to expose their acts.^[10] Independent labels are usually small operations, with almost no outside assistance and run out of tiny offices.^[11] Some acts choose to go from an independent label to a major label if given the opportunity, as major labels have considerably more power and financial means to promote and distribute products, sometimes increasing the chances of greater success.^[12]

Distribution

There are a few ways an independent label may go about distributing its music.^[9] Some independent labels are owned by major labels, who carry out the distribution for them.^[9] Other labels instead go through independent distributors.^[9] Many current artists use their own resources to produce, record, market and release music through Spotify, SoundCloud, and other streaming platforms with social media in a direct, do-it-yourself manner allowing creative distribution.^[13] There is the potential for artists to gain large numbers of streams on Spotify if their music are included in certain popular playlists.^[14]

For both independent and major labels, the label generally owns the copyright to the sound recording.^[9] Artists who maintain their copyrights usually must sacrifice other parts of their deal, and must give the label a temporary license to the recordings.^[9]

Contracts

An advance is a pre-payment of royalties from the label for the artist to record the album; it is paid back through the album's royalties.^[15] Independent labels generally give out much smaller advances than major labels, if any.^[15]^[9] Additionally, some independent labels will cover an album's recording costs instead of proving a set dollar amount as an advance.^[9] One advantage of smaller advances is that artists have less to pay back, and therefore can begin to profit quicker.^[9]

There are a number of ways that an independent label may structure their contract.^[9] Some independent labels have contracts that are essentially equivalent to major label deals.^[9] On a major label, a typical royalty rate (what the artist takes) is 13% to 16%;^[15] however, some independent labels offer 50-50 splits, which functions more as a partnership.^[16]^[9] One issue is that artists often forgo their mechanical royalties in 50-50 deals,^[9] and it can be more difficult to recoup the advance, meaning it takes longer to turn a profit.^[15] Some labels forgo a formal contract altogether, and their deals include few restrictions.^[9]

Related Research Articles

Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent record labels, by the 1990s it became more widely associated with the music such bands produced.

A record label, or record company, or simply records, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing, promotion, and enforcement of copyright for sound recordings and music videos, while also conducting talent scouting and development of new artists, and maintaining contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term "record label" derives from the circular label in the center of a vinyl record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information.

SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was first founded in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Transmitters, a small business through which he sold electronics equipment. Ginn repurposed the company as a record label to release material by his band Black Flag.

Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in punk rock. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by their band the Teen Idles. With other independent American labels such as Twin/Tone, Touch and Go Records, and SST Records, Dischord helped to spearhead the nationwide network of underground bands that formed the 1980s indie rock scene. These labels presided over the shift from the hardcore punk that then dominated the American underground scene to the more diverse styles of alternative rock that were emerging.

Alternative rock is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s with the likes of the grunge, shoegaze, and Britpop subgenres in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively. During this period, many record labels were looking for "alternatives", as many corporate rock, hard rock, and glam metal acts from the 1980s were beginning to grow stale throughout the music industry. The emergence of Generation X as a cultural force in the 1990s also contributed greatly to the rise of alternative rock.

K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent music" since the 1980s.

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Australian indie rock is part of the overall flow of Australian rock history but has a distinct history somewhat separate from mainstream rock in Australia, largely from the end of the punk rock era onwards.

Indie pop is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and subsequently generated a thriving fanzine, label, and club and gig circuit. Compared to its counterpart, indie rock, the genre is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free. In later years, the definition of indie pop has bifurcated to also mean bands from unrelated DIY scenes/movements with pop leanings. Subgenres include chamber pop and twee pop.

The music industry refers to the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, represent and supply music creators. Among the many individuals and organizations that operate in the industry are: the songwriters and composers who write songs and musical compositions; the singers, musicians, conductors, and bandleaders who perform the music; the record labels, music publishers, recording studios, music producers, audio engineers, retail and digital music stores, and performance rights organizations who create and sell recorded music and sheet music; and the booking agents, promoters, music venues, road crew, and audio engineers who help organize and sell concerts.

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Fruit Bats is an American indie rock band formed in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois, as the project of singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson. Johnson is the band's sole permanent member, with various musicians joining the band in live and studio settings.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amuse (music company)</span>

Amuse is a global music company offering digital music distribution, funding and artist services to independent artists and managements, who retain 100% of their master rights. The company was founded as a modern alternative to major record labels in 2015 in Stockholm, Sweden by entrepreneurs Diego Farias, Andreas Ahlenius, Christian Wilsson, Guy Parry, and Jimmy Brodd. Amuse is based in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London, UK and New York, US. In 2021, Roshi Motman was appointed CEO of the company.

The indie classical genre is generally used to describe the music that follows certain classical music practices but is produced and distributed through independent record labels. The term was brought into widespread circulation by New Amsterdam Records’ publicity apparatus, intended to represent composers whose “music slips through the cracks between genres.” The term “indie classical” became controversial and by 2013, it had been strongly resisted by participants in the very community that the record label initially sought to describe. The term remains unsettled and its use has declined, although currently it is sometimes used interchangeably with “alt-classical” or “neo-classical”, generally as a marketing label for music that crosses over between classical and other popular genres, associating artists who have little in common with the original movement.

References

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1 2 "Indie Rock Music Style Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
1 2 3 Rogan, Johnny (1992) "Introduction" in The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music, Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0-85112-579-4
↑ "Record labels that rocked our world". The Independent. 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
1 2 3 4 5 Peacock, Tim (2024-02-07). "Music For Misfits: The Story Of Indie Rock". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
↑ Lazell, Barry (1997) "Indie Hits 1980–1989", Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4
1 2 3 4 5 Fonarow, Wendy (2011-07-28). "Ask the indie professor: why do Americans think they invented indie?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-04-30.
↑ Hunt, El (2019-07-02). "How to run a small independent record label". NME. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Friends, Stacey. "Independent Labels: What's the Deal?". Performer . Performer Mag. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
↑ Morris, C. (Aug 25, 2001). "Beating the indie odds?: Label entrepreneurs make a go in tough market". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 1. p. 80.
↑ Barclay, Michael. "King Cobb Steelie Simply Rational". Exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on 2007-02-09. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
↑ Agnew, Harriet (17 February 2018). "France's indie music labels find their voice". Financial Times. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
↑ "Music Festival Blog | United States | Vibe with Ade". Music Festival Blog | United States | Vibe with Ade. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
↑ Aguiar, Luis; Waldfogel, Joel (September 2021). "Platforms, Power, and Promotion: Evidence from Spotify Playlists*". The Journal of Industrial Economics. 69 (3): 653–691. doi:10.1111/joie.12263. ISSN 0022-1821. S2CID 215728062.
1 2 3 4 Kellogg n.d., Advances and Recording Budgets.
↑ Kellogg n.d., Royalties.

Sources

Kellogg, John (n.d.). BerkleeX MB110x: Introduction to the Music Business (Massive open online course). edX.