Indie Labels Become the New Mainstream

Being an “indie label” is less about complying to a set of hard and fast rules, and more about capturing (or retaining) a certain spirit and freedom.  The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (also known as the ARIA Awards) announcement communicated an impressive trend.  Four out of five nominations for album of the year were released by indie labels.

As major labels have consolidated to maintain profitability, many artists like Courtney Barnett are running their own label, and selling their music online via sites like Bandcamp.  The indie pop group Sheppard even went on to receive the 1st number one single in Australia in a decade, with their hit song Geronimo.

The popularity of indie labels has increased so much that major labels often buy or partially own small labels, and invest money into sub-labels that look like independent labels.

In early 2013, the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) launched a 10-point independent manifesto.  These points include: transparency in the digital music market, support of creators’ freedom,  control in how their music is used commercially, and a desire for equal market access…

The manifesto is designed to answer the question….what best serves an artist’s creative vision for their music?  This question must be addressed to build a sustainable industry now and in the future for indie labels.