Independent Labels: The Mavericks of Rock n’ Roll
Are you a hard core musician? Do you despise John Mayer and Jewel for selling out? If you are the type of artist who would sooner wear a pink tutu and tights than sign a major distribution deal, you may want to look into signing with an independent label.
Independent labels—the mavericks of the industry—pride themselves on providing individualized service to the artist and staying true to the music.
However, you’re not as likely to get famous on an indie recording label, though it has happened before. Ani DiFranco, Hootie and the Blowfish and Edwain McCain are all independent label artists. In DiFranco’s case, she actually went one step further. She started her own label—Righteous Babe Records—and turned down lucrative deals from larger labels. “The label was started by Ani as a way to put out her music,” says Susan Tanner, a representative for Righteous Babe. “In order to do what she wanted to do, and serve her best interests, she started her own company. She pretty much figured ‘I’ve done it myself and I’m happy to keep doing it myself.’ “ Tanner adds, “We’ve expanded to include other artists, but we are still primarily Ani’s label.”
So, if there’s no guarantee of getting rich and famous, what’s the point of signing with an independent label? Independent labels offer several advantages, such as more creative control, larger royalties and merchandise and promotion profits. It’s a great way for fledgling artists to break out of anonymity and distribute their music by manufacturing CDs or online promotion.
And in many cases, independent labels only sign a few artists in order to give each one more individualized attention. It’s easier for an artist to create a ‘niche’ in the industry and 
find a certain audience, as proven by Righteous Babe Records. “There isn’t someone who sits and listens to everything and says, ‘We should sign this artist,’ “ says Tanner. “To date, the artists we’ve released have come from Ani—people she admires. It’s quite different than other companies.” She explains, “Some of the artists, like Kurt Swinghammer, may not have seen a release in the U.S. if we had not put it out. They may not make ‘popular music’ but they are artists who are very passionate about their music.”
But no indie label is perfect. Some of the disadvantages to signing with a small indie are not having a lot of money for distribution, advertising or publicity. So you end up taking two big risks: The first—you may not sell many records (translation, don’t quit your day job,) and the second—if they’re not selling records, the label could go bankrupt, which means you’ve lost countless hours or work and money.
Author's biography:
Miranda Koerner is a freelance writer who lives with her husband in San Antonio, Texas. Her fascination for music came from growing up in Austin. She currently writes for several magazines and websites, on everything from peanut butter to garage bands.
