Ten Reasons Why You Should Stay An Indie Artist
Let's learn about the advantages of staying independent in today's modern music landscape.

Over the years, I’ve classified all the indie artists I’ve met into three categories. The first is the purist category. These artists are true believers in the indie cause and will not be swayed by the big numbers any record label offers. They even feel betrayed every time they see an indie artist sign a record deal. The second category has no such loyalties and only sees indie music as a stepping stone to a record deal. I call them the guests in transit.

They’re only making music all by themselves because they have no other choice. Their style of music is also styled to catch the attention of the labels. They’re not indie at heart, only by the situation. The third category of people is neither loyal to indie culture nor craving the shiny career offered by the major labels.

Unlike the first two categories, these guys will consider all their options and choose what they believe is best. They believe in neither the real nor the shiny, but have what they’re looking for and will go where they can find it. The first two categories are believers in something, these guys have no loyalties.

If you’re a guest in transit, I doubt anything I say will change your mind, but I’ll give it a try. If you’re thinking about which path is best for you, I’ll try to convince you why indie music makes the most sense. Let’s go.

You're big enough

In this day and age, things are different. Back in the day, record labels were the key to fame and commercial success for musicians. Social media changed that. Today, the world is closer than ever, and you can reach people thousands of miles away from your toilet seat. Even the record labels have changed how they recruit. To be sure you will be a commercially sound investment, they need to see some level of success already.

If you're already big on social media, however, you don't need to cede control of your career to a record label in search of more success. The beginning is always the hardest part, but once you've managed to crack through the ice, the only way is up. If a label were to offer you a spot at the start of your career, I can see how that's tempting. But you're already tasting success, playing in different venues, and enjoying a healthy audience online. Why surrender all your control to a label then?

Take a stand

I probably sound like a purist saying this, but these massive labels are primarily focused on making a profit. If that's in line with your goals, go right ahead. If you're making music for a deeper reason, profit is nice but never the main goal. That means your goals don't align with that of the record labels and you'll end up being at loggerheads most of the time. By rejecting the record labels and doing things your way, you're taking a stand against letting money rule you, and your fans will love you for it.

If you find a label that aligns with your goals, by all means, go ahead. NF is an example of an artist who signed with a label but stayed true to his values and principles. So it can be done, but it's quite rare.

Full ownership

Today, many of the biggest artists of the world are fighting for the ownership of their music and you start to wonder how you can avoid such a battle. Staying indie is the best way to eliminate any chances of ownership disputes later in your career. You're the artist, you put in the work to get the song made, so why should a corporation own it?

Being an independent artist leaves no doubt about who owns the music.

Creative control

Creative control is the biggest advantage of being indie by a country mile. Labels have more money and wider reach, but being independent offers you full control of your creative decisions and what kind of music to make. If your career has grown so much that you've been offered a record deal, I don't think that's something you should sacrifice. Your creative control is your prerogative as an artist, and no one should be allowed to take that from you.

Advice is always appreciated, but ceding control of your creative process is tantamount to only being a mouthpiece for someone else. It's no longer your music, you're just the face of the show.

No fame

I know, many people do music for fame so how can it be a disadvantage? Truth be told, many artists can do without the attention. Some of them just want to go to Walmart without being waylaid by excited kids looking for an autograph. If you're like that, staying away from record labels might be for you. Labels are after maximum profit, as I've already mentioned, and a great way to increase profit is to increase traffic.

Increased traffic means a ton of fame. Some artists like Daft Punk and Sia have tried to stay away from the buzz of fame by disguising themselves in videos and performances, but sticking to indie music is a great way to lead a quiet life because it's up to you how much traffic you want to generate. You can still make good money from it and you can decide how exposed you'd like to be.

Bonus: self-development

As an indie artist, you have to do many of the things involved in making music. You have to write the song, come up with the melody, record the music, do all the mixing and mastering, and you still have to figure out how to distribute. It's stressful, but it also means you'll become an expert in all of these fields. You'll build more skills and make yourself even more valuable as an indie artist.

Final Thoughts

There comes a time in every artist's career when they must decide what path to follow. One of the big decisions to make is whether or not to stay indie, especially when you start catching some serious attention. I'm not pushing a purist agenda and I certainly don't advise you to be a visitor in transit. I want you to be the third type of person.

I've given you reasons why you should stay indie. Explore the reasons why you should sign with a record label too. Make a decision based on your ideals and your mission as an artist. Whatever your decision is, godspeed.