How Do I Find & Hire an Indie Artist?
Here are some well known easy to use platforms for finding indie artists.

There's one thing every occasion, whether happy or sad, deserves. No matter what the occasion, a good bit of music is always good. So if you're organizing an occasion like a wedding or a festival, you're right to be on the hunt for an indie artist for hire. Finding the right band or artist that matches your sound and style preferences while fitting into your budget can be a chore, so it's also understandable why you're here. And I'll help you...

To make your search easier, you need to go to a place where indie artists gather in their numbers. Music platforms are where indie artists put out their music in search of an audience. You're more likely to find the right match in such a pool than searching blindly on the internet.

You can find artists in their numbers and sample their music to help you make the best possible decisions. So what are these music platforms? I've listed out my top ten for you...

Top Eight Indie Artist Platforms

YouTube

Unarguably the biggest video platform on the internet, YouTube is one place where you'll easily find a ton of indie artists. If you're after only audio, YouTube offers that with YouTube Music. Music is not the only thing YouTube is about, but it remains an awesome way for indie artists to build up an audience for themselves. So if you go on YouTube, you'll find indie artists.

SharePro

SharePro is a great indie artist community that focuses on helping artists improve on their craft, network with industry professionals, sell their music with their own music store, with the end goal of helping them get their music heard. If you're looking to find true indie artists, SharePro is a community dedicated to the indie artist first and only. Checkout the SharePro marketplace to start connecting with indie artists and musicians from around the world.

SoundCloud

Another online platform that's perfect for indie artists is SoundCloud. Being free to use, it's the perfect place for an indie artist with no big budget to back them. Unlike YouTube, SoundCloud is restricted only to audio content. Like YouTube, it allows for interaction between the artist and the listeners.

If you want to find solid indie artists, all you have to do is listen to them. On SoundCloud, there are thousands, if not millions, of songs uploaded by indie artists. If you like what you hear, you can contact the artist directly on SoundCloud.

Spotify

Spotify is another massive place where you can find artists. Such is the magnitude of the sphere that mainstream, successful artists are trying to get a Victor. What makes Spotify so amazing might also be the same thing that would be his biggest weakness. It's full of people, the traffic is insane. Spotify has over eleven million different artists so you get the idea. This might make it hard for you to wade your way through until you find the indie artist you're looking for.

Bandcamp

Decades ago, you could go into a record store looking for some music to play. Today, it's all online. Bandcamp is an online store, but more importantly a community where artists can share their music and get support from their listeners. You can easily go on there, take a look around, and sort it out.

Tidal

Like Spotify, Tidal is a music streaming platform that anyone can use, including people from the mainstream side of music. Although not as big as Spotify, Tidal is also one of the biggest streaming platforms in Nigeria. They also provide video content as a bonus so you can even take an actual first look at the guy you're considering.

Amazon Music

Yet another alternative music streaming platform, Amazon music is fast rising in popularity. It allows you to not only listen to the music of your potential indie artists but also allows you to contact them. So it's like a music streaming platform, but a social media platform too.

Pandora

Pandora music is another music streaming site that allows indie artists to upload their songs. That said, they only accept a list of distribution companies like Tunecore, Distrokid, and CDBaby that have specific packages for indie artists. That's not your problem, though. All you have to do is check out the music.

Other Tips

Apart from going on these platforms to scour for indie artists, there are other ways to find yourself an indie artist for hire.

Attend shows

One of the best ways to know whether an indie artist is the right one for you is to see a performance by them live. The only way you can do that is to attend shows where indie artists will be performing. So do some research on the venues around you by attending some shows and seeing what the artists have to offer. If you see something you like, you can pitch them right there after the show.

You also get to watch a variety of indie artists doing their thing when you go to shows. This gives you a wide range of options to pick from, albeit not as wide as online platforms will give you.

Post an ad

There are indie artists everywhere hunting for singing gigs. So it's even easier to find an indie artist because they're trying to find you too. So instead of going through so much to search for an indie artist, you can just post an ad, then watch them come to you. Whether online or physically in the streets of your city, posting an ad is an effective way of getting an indie artist for your occasion.

Read blogs

If you don't have enough time or desire to attend a show, all you have to do is stay back home while going through expert recommendations. Read their blogs and articles and check out their lists to find the right indie artist for your occasion.

Check freelance job boards

My final tip to help you get an indie artist is to scour the freelance market. Job boards like Upwork and Fiverr are home to thousands of freelancers offering various services ranging from web development to creative writing. Music is not excluded so you can find an indie artist on a job board. It's like putting themselves directly in their crosshairs. Being in the right place at the right time is not luck, it's a game.

Final Thoughts

Finding an indie artist to hire shouldn't be a chore as long as you know where to find them. Once you get that part, the rest is super easy. Post an ad and see them rush to get interviewed.