Independent Labels

Indie labels in contract to the majors

What do the Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, EMI Group and Warner Music Group have in common?
 
They’re not indie labels. That’s for sure.
 
Very simply put, Indie labels are record labels which do not source funds from ‘the big four’ in order to produce their music. One of the contributing reasons is the big labels are known to not allow a musician complete creative control over their work for the simple reason of playing music that fits the trends of popular music which in turn, ensures record sales. An indie label seeks to help a musician explore areas that he would not necessarily be allowed to in the circumstances of signing with a ‘big label’.
 
The distinguishing factor between major and indie record labels is that the latter seeks to encourage music that is not necessarily a part of popular culture today. In addition, indie labels also create a small but niche market for say, a sub-genre of jazz, which when popular enough moves right into the mainstream.
 
Hence, one of the objectives of an indie label is to encourage ‘fresh’ sounds played by upcoming and relatively unknown bands. So, if you consider music to be more than a hobby, I’m sure you’ll find some interesting music produced by indie bands, not necessarily in the mainstream today.
 
It’s no surprise that independent labels have played an important part in history in making what is ‘popular music’ today. It’s interesting to note what Indie labels did for the likes of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison in turning them into cult figures in the music business today.
 
Another interesting aspect is that most musicians, who’ve ‘arrived’ in the music business today, go on to launch their own indie label, for the very same reasons as mentioned above. They understand that an artist’s freedom is vital to his body of work, and should not necessarily cater to popular trends. Frank Zappa, The Beatles and Elton John are some of the names that released their labels with varied success.
 
Alterhit.com, in the same tradition, seeks to not only encourage indie bands but also independent labels albeit in the online format. Just in case, you do own a record label of your own with a list of bands, Alterhit allows you to post a profile that uses the power of the Internet to provide a global platform to support your label’s initiatives and talent in the form of making records or playing gigs. A caveat to keep in mind is that only bands can post their music on this site, so it allows you to focus on promoting the label’s direction and objectives as a separate entity.