top of page
Search

What We Heard From the Cheap Seats: An Essay Assessing The Pros and Cons of Indie vs. Mainstream Labels for Emerging Artists

  • Writer: Alexia Rowe
    Alexia Rowe
  • Jan 29
  • 8 min read

Updated: Apr 17

This essay, assessing the benefits and constraints of indie vs. mainstream record labels, was originally written for academic purposes on 25 June 2020.


guy in a purple sweater singing into a microphone in a recording booth

At the beginning of her career, pop-rock artist Vanessa Carlton was signed to A&M Records, a division of one of the biggest music corporations in America. Though this is every aspiring musician's dream, she felt A&M failed to give her direction. The A&M president reworked her most well-known single "A Thousand Miles" and the rest of her debut album, Be Not Nobody. Both the single and the album became Billboard hits and received Grammy nominations. Unfortunately this whirlwind of success was short-lived. She wanted her second album to reflect her own vision, but the executives wanted to influence. In the end, Stephan Jenkins of indie rock band Third Eye Blind produced the darker-themed Harmonium. Although Be Not Nobody peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart, Harmonium peaked at number 33. A&M wanted to re-release the album with their changes, but Carlton felt the album should be promoted as is. After this conflict of visions, she left the label because she felt her nonconformist attitude would cause future problems with A&M.


shelves of records in a music store

Many artists like Carlton feel the pressure to conform to standards created by their music labels. Some musicians see this as a problem specifically for signed artists who perform within an established genre, but the pressure to conform to a particular style causes problems for indie musicians as well as those who do not fall into any genre. As Wendy Fonarow explains in Empire of Dirt, the indie community argues over the “nature of musical production practices, relationship to musical forms, relationship between audience members and the music”. Indie artists often take extra time to experiment with different musical styles, making their music sound different than that of a major record label. At the end of the day, indie artists really are independent artists, and they will thrive better without conforming to mainstream norms.


Indie music can be more honest than mainstream music, even though mainstream channels determine the dominant trends in any given season. "From the indie perspective, mainstream production is understood as one that masks, one that washes over a lack of substance or artistic creativity, producing instead through technology and commercially proven formulae the semblance of a legitimate song" (Hibbett 62). Indie music can be more authentic because the recording methods cannot mask any imperfections. The pure recordings can sometimes make it easier for listeners to connect with the songs. Indie artists create all their music themselves, as opposed to the mainstream artists whose music is often overproduced and auto-tuned for pop radio listeners (Hibbett 64). According to rapper K'naan in a New York Times interview, "Radio programmers avoid subjects too far from fun and self-absorption." Topic selection by these radio programmers means that the radio typically plays songs about partying and self-satisfaction. On the other hand, indie songs often deal with a wider range of human topics. For example, "Laughing With," a song by indie folk artist Regina Spektor, discusses the greater understanding of God.


an indie duo against a pink background with starts and eyeball emojis

If indie artists are so different from the mainstream, how can they stay unique while still becoming successful? Most music enthusiasts suggest that an indie artist should try to get a record deal which is supposed to help artists record and sell music. Mark Finch says in "Toronto is the Best!" that "major label support [lends] credibility to an act" (303) because the label can offer connections and media presence for the new artist. However, as noted in Vanessa Carlton’s story, labels often look for new artists in order to create the "next best thing" for a popular trend. Consequently, many artists today evolve to fulfill the "mainstream whim" ("Radio Berkman 198"), adapting to stay relevant to their label’s sound. Labels often overproduce an artist’s sound, and an indie artist may eventually lose their unique voice.


Not all major record labels treat their artists this way. Atlantic Records, the main label of Warner Music Group, seems to treat its artists right. Death Cab for Cutie recently signed to Atlantic, and the band’s contract benefitted them immensely. All the singles from their first major label release, Plans, landed on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Indie pop artist Melanie Martinez, also with Atlantic, won certified platinum status with her debut album Cry Baby. Her self-directed music videos have millions of views. Both Death Cab and Martinez were independent when they started recording, and both were recruited by Atlantic because of their unique sounds.


headphones on a microphone stand with walls adorned with music posters

Logically an indie artist could sign to an indie label, with no connection to a major label. Smaller labels tend to form stronger connections between artists and record producers. They will also encourage the artist to share their vision. Indie label executives appear to be more invested in the artist's music. Producers must work "to develop obscure artists on a grassroots level" (Hibbett 58), a practice that can build a loyal fan base. Indie artists may need to work as hard to distribute their music because smaller labels often have less funding and they have less of an overall impact on the music industry (Cool).


Indie artist Ingrid Michaelson gained success after a Grey's Anatomy music producer found her album Girls and Boys streaming online. Subsequently, several labels pursued her. Michaelson chose Original Signal Recordings to market and distribute her music while she retained her rights as an independent artist. Girls and Boys peaked at number 63 on the Billboard charts after its mainstream release. Her songs are now featured in commercials, and covered by aspiring artists. Original Signal is distributed by the Universal Motown Republic Group and they are also a member of the American Association of Independent Music, which demonstrates that some indie labels can still make an artist successful. If an indie artist chooses to sign with a record label, major or indie, they should sign one that allows them creative freedom.


music producer sitting in front of a station with controls in a recording studio

An indie artist does not necessarily need a record deal to gain listeners because of internet streaming. Fans can buy music on iTunes and listen to artists on Spotify and BandCamp (Finch 304). There are many sources of income for an artist. For example, if a YouTube channel gets more than 1,000 subscribers, then the channel's founder can monetize the account. An indie artist creates a platform online to both promote music and connect with fans. Millions of artists already flood the airways like this so an indie artist may still go unheard. Often listeners accustomed to Top 40 hits struggle to find music that sounds organic ("Radio Berkman 198"). Anna Ash suggests that teenage girls will not always pick up easily on indie artists, since they tend to listen to radio pop music (“Singer-songwriter Anna Ash Talks Indie Music’s Privilege Problem”). Most indie artists will remain obscure unless listeners become educated about musical styles.


Listeners can become more educated when the artist connects with other people. Whether or not an indie artist has a record deal, she must perform frequently and work with other musicians who share her vision (Kruse 633). According to Dave Cool's "Major vs. Indie" article, the artist receives 6.6% of the money from CD sales, whereas the label, distributor and retailer get 30%, 22% and 30% respectively. If the record is available on iTunes, "Apple takes 30%, and the label collects the remaining 70%, of which they pay out about 12% of their end to the artist (about 8% of the total purchase of the album)" (Cool). An artist cannot depend solely on Spotify and other music streaming services for income because many listeners use these apps for free. This means that an artist will make most of her income by touring or merchandise, rather than record sales. They must find people who will spread the word and recruit other listeners.

an audience in front of a band performing in a live music venue

Artists often collaborate, sometimes advertising on Craigslist for instrumentalists to form a band. Aspiring musicians often search for veteran artists to give them lessons (Thickstun 57). The artist can teach the styles of various indie musicians, like Joanna Newsom and Lianne La Havas. Students can then share what they hear. The indie music scenes in Washington, D.C. and New York often seek new music styles to stay distinct from the mainstream (Finch 309). Music collectives such as the Earthwork Music Collective in Missaukee County, Michigan, support indie musicians. Groups like these help an artist to work with like-minded people who believe in their music, and they can become successful simply through the use of connections. Chance the Rapper is not signed to any record label. He made his mixtape available for streaming on SoundCloud and toured with several artists, including Kanye West. Because of the connections he made while touring, he won several Grammies including Best New Artist.


Heather McDonald states in her article “How to Get Started in the Music Industry as a Musician or Artist” that there is no definite map for indie musicians to distribute their music and achieve success. She stresses, however, that artists must plan and research their options. Taylor Swift advises aspiring musicians to “get a good lawyer” (“73 Questions with Taylor Swift”, 6:00). Vinny Ribas, founder of music consulting firm IndieConnect, explains that an artist must have the mindset of an achiever. Ultimately, success starts within the artist. It is possible for indie artists to achieve success through different lanes. They must find a route that serves their sound, and they must believe that they can truly make music in their own way.



woman standing in front of yellow neon lights in the shape of musical instruments


Works Cited:

Comments

Commenting on this post isn't available anymore. Contact the site owner for more info.
bottom of page