Have you ever heard of indie music before? Do you know what it is? Don't feel bad if you don't know what indie music is all about, I've been there too. It's now time for that ignorance to end, though. Here are 10 cool facts about indie music you probably never knew.

10 Indie Music Facts

1. Indie music is not a genre

As simple as this looks, it's a big issue. Many people I know have assumed indie music is a genre from somewhere in India. Others think it's a form of alternative rock music. If you're one of them, it's time to come into the light. Indie music is not a genre. Indie music is simply a short form of independent music. It refers to artists playing their trade all on their own.

2. Indie artists get zero financial backing from major record labels

I already mentioned part of it. Indie artists, being independent, get no compensation or financial backing from the major record labels. Signed artists get huge chunks of money and entire teams allocated to them as they work on their new projects. For indie artists, any money spent is meticulously managed because all the financial burden is on the artist.

3. Indie artists are in complete control of their careers

The lack of financial muscle behind indie artists means they're completely in charge of their progress and career. Signed artists get tons of cash upfront from the label, but it also means they have to sign over a big chunk of bread.

4. The rise of social media boosted the popularity of indie music

For decades, 4 record labels (now 3) were responsible for about 80% of the music in the world. Then came social media and everything changed for indie artists. All of a sudden, it's easy to build a fanbase and make a name for yourself online. Where artists had to work extra hard to make it, they can now grow their brand as artists from their rooms.

TikTok is one of my favorite platforms for indie artists to promote themselves. It hosts more than 1 billion people per month and has seen massive indie success on it over the years. Social media has opened the floodgates so that artists can easily build connections and work without having to go through so much stress.

5. Indie music appeals to a niche audience

Unlike global artists like Eminem and Rihanna who are backed by major labels, indie artists target a more niche audience. It always appeals to people who enjoy music that's outside the box of the normal. Popularly called music for misfits, indie songs hardly ever become hits, but gain extremely loyal fans among your reduced audience.

Chance the Rapper is one good example. He's won Grammys and made tons of money as an indie artist, but he's nowhere near as globally popular as Rihanna. This is because his music appeals to people with a certain type of taste. It's good, but not everyone will enjoy it.

Every recording artist starts out with just a dream and rarely any support. For most indie music artists it's about their love of creating music which may one day make them a household name.

6. All artists start as indie

All artists start as indie artists. No record label will sign a young talent just out of the blue. Instead, the artist must've already built themselves up to a certain level. This means every single artist started independently. Big artists like Rihanna are world famous now, but many years ago she used to be independent.

Making a good and lasting impression as an indie artist is one of the main reasons why a label might get interested in the artist. Today, some indie artists even avoid record labels because of the very nice working place.

7. Indie artists can start their labels

Mainstream music is produced by 3 major labels and their several subsidiaries, but indie artists can start their label too. Often, an indie artist who's gone quite far in their career or a group of indie artists can come together to form a indie record label. This company will handle things like licensing, promotion, booking of venues, etc.

Remember that launching your record labels does not mean you're now a mainstream artist, you'd have to be connected to one of the big 3. These smaller labels only help indie artists keep an organized life.

8. Indie music has generated over $2 billion

I already mentioned that indie music isn't backed by any of the big 3, but think twice before you ignore this industry. Indie music has generated more than $2 billion in revenue, an astonishing figure that will only rise with time. Online streaming and other forms of income are enough to get such a sum of money over a long time.

Record labels have generated more revenue than this, but it's extremely encouraging to see this progress in marketing and sales especially. As years go by, indie music will become more and more popular, and the revenue will continue to grow.

9. You can start a record label for $50,000 or less

Many people think you need a lot of money to start your record label. It's partly true, but you can get it done with $50,000 or less. All the documents, license, ng, and setting up of everything you need for a record label can be obtained within $50,000. You can easily collab with someone else to start a company of you two, after all.

10. There are 3 major labels that "run" the music world

You've heard me mention the big 3 over and over, but who are the big 3? Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group are the biggest labels in the world. All other labels are subsidiaries of 1 among these 3. They control about 70 to 80 percent of all the music we consume and take the bulk of the revenue as well.

Final Thoughts

Indie music is a fun and adventurous type of music where artists get to experiment and try new things in the booth without worrying about any label executive. It's called misfit music for a reason. So if you like to play around with words or focus on a particular type of sound, there might be an indie artist somewhere inside you.