There are two kinds of
artist in the music industry, independent and signed. Independent artist or
music also known as indie or indie music, are artist that make music
independently without the support of a major record label or their
conglomerates. This process is very
hand’s on for the artist because most of them have little or no staff. Signed
artist on the other hand are artist that are signed to a label. These artists are
giving the delight to make the music while a team works to make them a star. An
artist can be signed to an independent label or a major label. The perks of
being signed to an independent are more control over your music, less money to
pay out if you are a successful artist and the ability to release music at your
own pace with so many distribution outlets at little or no cost. The average cons of being an independent
artist are, no or minimal budget, no or minimal staff, limited resources and no
creative team.
The pro’s of being a signed
artist are, advances when signed to a major label, an abundance of resources, a
full staffed company dedicated to your success, access to the best quality services
in the industry, and a fast-track to success. The cons are, you have little
control artistically in most cases, and you have to give up a lot of your
income if you are a new artist.
The decisions to pursue an
independent career or trying to pursue a record deal all dependents on the
artist and the artist’s career goals. “Many artist choose to go from an
independent label to a
major label if given the opportunity as major labels have
considerably more power and financial means to promote and distribute product;
thus increasing the chances of greater success. Some acts, however, may choose
not to go to a major label if given the opportunity as independence generally
offers more freedom. Similarly, others become independent label acts after
having already experienced recording on a major label, either due to their own
accord or having been dropped from a major label. Bradley
Joseph requested to be let go from his major label deal with
Narada/Virgin Records and subsequently became an independent artist. He states
"As an independent, business is a prime concern and can take over if not
controlled. A lot of musicians don't learn the business. You just have to be
well-rounded in both areas. You have to understand publishing. You have to
understand how you make money, what's in demand, and what helps you make the
most out of your talent. But some artists just want to be involved in the music
and don't like the added problems or have the personality to work with both”(wiki,2013)
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_music#Going_major_versus_staying_independent
http://www.virgin.com/music
http://www.narada.com/
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