Independent music

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In popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing.

Indie music gained its freespiritedness and strident anti-commercialism and non-mainstream attitudes and philosophies in direct lineage to the DIY ethic of punk and 1980s alternative rock such as The Pixies and Sonic Youth, while simultaneously exploring broader song structures, lyrics, and instrumentation to which major labels and corporate distributors might have been more averse.^[1]

Independent record labels

Main article: Independent record label

Independent labels have a long history of signalling developments in popular music, stretching back to the post-war period in the United States, with labels such as Sun Records.^[2]

In the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s, the major record companies had so much power that independent labels struggled to become established. Several British producers and artists launched independent labels as outlets for their work and artists they liked, but the majority failed as commercial ventures or were swallowed up by the majors.^[2]

The punk rock era saw a plethora of independent labels.^[2] The UK Indie Chart, was first compiled in 1980, and independent distribution became better organized from the late 1970s onwards.^[3]

Overview

Cultural and philosophical attributes of indie

Main article: Indie (culture)

There are a number of cultural and philosophical traits which could be more useful in pinpointing what indie music is about than specific musical styles or commercial ownership. Indie artists are concerned more with self-expression than commercial considerations (though, again, this is a stance that is affected by many artists, including hugely commercially successful ones). A do-it-yourself sensibility, which originated with punk in the 1970s, is often associated with indie, with people in the scene being involved in bands, labels, nights and zines. Indie often has an internationalist outlook, which stems from a sense of solidarity with other fans, bands and labels in other countries who share one's particular sensibilities; small indie labels will often distribute records for similar labels from abroad, and indie bands will often go on self-funded tours of other cities and countries, where those in the local indie scenes will invariably help organize gigs and often provide accommodation and other support. In addition, there is also a strong sense of camaraderie that emerges from a selflessness among indie bands and often results in collaborations and joint tours.

Indie artists of any particular time often go against the prevailing trends (for example, the twee pop movement that started in the 1980s was a reaction against the testosterone-fueled swagger of rock). A 'lo-fi' aesthetic (i.e., an often deliberate lack of polish and a more "authentic" roughness and imperfection) has often been associated with indie, particularly when slick, polished recordings were the preserve of the commercial music industry; this line has since become blurred, in a world where high-quality recordings can be made increasingly easily with inexpensive computer-based recording systems and where commercial production teams often deliberately utilize a "lo-fi" sound.

Indie and technology

Internet technology allows artists to introduce their music to a potentially enormous audience at low cost without necessarily affiliating with a major recording label.^[4] The design of digital music software encourages the discovery of new music. Sites with larger libraries of songs are the most successful. This, in turn, creates many opportunities for independent bands. Royalties from digital services could prove to be an important source of income. If an artist has already paid to record, manufacture, and promote their album, there is little to no additional cost for independent artists to distribute their music online.^[5] Digital services offer the opportunity of exposure to new fans and the possibility of increased sales through online retailers. Artists can also release music more frequently and quickly if it is made available online. Additionally, artists have the option of releasing limited edition, out-of-print, or live material that would be too costly to produce through traditional means.

With the arrival of newer and relatively inexpensive recording devices and instruments, more individuals are able to participate in the creation of music than ever before. Studio time is extremely expensive and difficult to obtain. The result of new technology is that anyone can produce studio-quality music from their own home. Additionally, the development of new technology allows for greater experimentation with sound.^[6] An artist is able to experiment without necessarily spending the money to do it in an expensive studio.

Most artists maintain their own Web sites as well as having a presence on sites such as Myspace.com. Technological advances such as message boards, music blogs, and social networks are also being used by independent music companies to make big advances in the business.^[7] Some sites rely on audience participation to rate a band, allowing listeners to have a significant impact on the success of a band. This eliminates new talent search and development, one of the most costly areas of the music business. Other sites, allow artists to upload their music and sell it at a price of their choosing. Visitors to the site can browse by genre, listen to free samples, view artist information, and purchase the tracks they want to buy.^[8] Acts such as Wilco have chosen to make their new albums available for streaming before they are released.^[9]

However, the sale of digital music makes up only 5-10% of the total income generated from music sales. At this point, most people do not have broadband connections to the internet,^{[citation needed]} making it relatively difficult for the general public to access music online. Many digital music services tend to focus overwhelmingly on major label acts. They don't necessarily have the time or resources to give attention to independent artists.^[10]

A more recent trend is seen in artists who give their music away for free, such as Radiohead, with their 2007 album In Rainbows^[11] and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails with the 2008 album The Slip,^[12] or indie artists and bands such as Happy Rhodes whose music is available for free on the indie music site Redfizz.

Online independent music sites

Many bands have chosen to forgo a record label and instead market and distribute their music through entirely web-based means. Digital marketing firms offer opportunities such as Podcast creation and promotion and video hosting to their clients. In the case of digital distribution, an artist lends a company the right to distribute their music. The contract is often non-exclusive, and the rights to the music generally remain with the artist.

The non-exclusivity of the contract allows many artists to have an online presence while continuing to sell directly through their local independent music stores in the US and in Canada.