Signing As An Indie Artist vs Major Record Label
Learn more about the indie music industry along with it's pros and cons.

The first time I understood what indie music really means, I laughed at myself so hard I cried. All the while, I'd been thinking it was some type of Indian music. Can you imagine that? So don't worry, I get it if you don't know what indie music is. This is a safe place. So what is indie music?

Indie music is simply short for independent music, and it refers to music made by artists who are not signed to any one of the four major record labels: Warner Music Group, EMI, Universal Music Group, and Sony BMG. The term "indie" is also used to describe music that doesn't flow with the norm of the genre. For example, indie rock can also be called alternative rock and simply means a style of rock that doesn't exactly sound like mainstream rock music.

Indie vs Signed

So that's what indie music is. So what's the difference between a signed artist and an indie artist? As an upcoming artist, what path should you take? You alone can make that decision, but I can help explain what each choice entails. So what does it mean to be signed or indie?

The Benefits of Signing to a Major Record Label

Signed artists enjoy quite a lot of benefits, but they essentially work for record labels. Here are some of those benefits...

The good part of signing to a major record label

1.     Financial backing

The big record labels operate with massive budgets and are willing to invest heavily in an artist they believe will bring in a ton of income. So you won't have to worry about anything that pertains to money. You'd be able to license any samples, use whatever equipment you want, and shoot videos wherever you want. The record label will pay for everything if they believe you're worth the investment.

2.     Team of professionals

Making music is a long process that involves several professionals. First, you need to write the song, then come up with the instrumentation, then record the song, then edit the song, and finally distribute the song. If you want to release a video to accompany your song, that has its own set of processes, choreography, recording, and editing for example. What I'm trying to say is it can be a minefield.

Record labels alleviate all that stress by furnishing you with a complete team of professionals. Some artists don't even have to write their music. All they do is show up and sing.

3.     Worldwide distribution

The final step in making music is perhaps the most tedious one, distribution. Getting that masterpiece of a song from the studio to the ears of as big an audience as possible can be a big struggle, but not for record labels. They have enough money and reach to have your music playing in other countries. They can pay for ads, organize concerts, plan a tour, and do many other things for you. And the one condition for all this is that you make good music that can be sold, making them a fortune.

The bad part of signing with a major record label

1.     The label owns everything

The record labels will pour in tons of money, but keep in mind that they own all your work and the profits that are made from it. You'll get some part of the money, but they'll get the lion's share of it.

2.     No creative autonomy

The record labels don't usually care what kind of music you make as long as they believe it's commercially viable. If they don't think so, they'll step in and change things. This means you're not completely in charge of what kind of music you make, or even your lyrics. They have the final say.

The Good & Bad of Being an Indie Artist

On the flip side, indie artists also have their advantages. While the signed artist is an employee of their record label, an indie artist is, well, independent. That independence comes with some benefits of its own.

The good part of being an indie artist

1.     Creative independence

When signed to a record label, you don't have full creative autonomy. As an indie artist, however, you work for no one. This means you can choose what kind of music to make, the kind of lyrics you use, and your general style. While the record labels will push you towards making music that's more commercially viable, you can stay true to your identity as an indie artist. This especially applies to artists who aren't in it just for the money, but because of a deeper passion for music.

2.     Full ownership

Record labels will pay for anything you need to make a platinum record, but they own everything you make. They'll own your music and pay you out of the profits you bring in. So while it can be financially rewarding, it does mean you don't legally own any of your work. As an indie artist, you own every part of your work and can use it as you want. As an upcoming artist with no audience, you might not care about this. By the time you've garnered a big audience, however, it might start to sting.

3.     You're in charge

As an indie artist, you're in charge of your music career. Not only do you own what you make, but you're your own boss. You'll choose when to tour, when to release music, where to perform, what kind of music to make, and everything else that pertains to your music. You also keep 100% of all the income you make from your music. Record labels might help you get a larger reach, but they own your music and keep a chunk of the profits. If you're independent, there's none of that.

The Bad Part

1.     No funding

The flip side of being independent is that there's no big budget behind you. Whatever money you need to do anything will have to come from your pocket. This can be quite limiting, especially in the quality of equipment and your reach in terms of distribution.

2.     No team

Record labels provide you with a full team of professionals, but you're all by yourself if you're indie. If you need any professional, you'll have to hire one yourself. And your limited budget might push you to handle most of the processes yourself. It's not uncommon to see indie artist doing their recording, production, and distribution all by themselves.

Final Thoughts

Indie music is not an Indian music genre. It refers to music made independently and not under any of the big record labels. You know the advantages and the disadvantages so the decision is yours. As a beginner, you must start indie. As you gain traction, however, you might catch the eye of a record label. It is then you must decide whether you'd like to embrace the massive budgets and cede control or keep control and continue being independent. The choice is yours...