The Pros & Cons of Independent Record Labels

In general, independent labels are those labels that aren't one of the 'big four', are run on very limited budgets, employee a small number of extremely passionate people and operate in a down to earth manner that respects the choices of the acts they sign.

The pros of independent labels.

Indies definitely pay more attention to the artists on their books than the larger labels. Many musicians signed to large labels find themselves in a battle for the attention of the execs, and end up feeling like 'just another act'. With independent record labels, the ethos is much different. They usually only have a few acts on their books, and if they've chosen you as one of them, it's because they believe in you and in your chances of success. So it makes sense for them to encourage you, and to back you as much as they can.

Larger record labels sometimes sign acts just to stop their rivals from doing so, or as a future project. As executives come and go, and music trends change, artists can find themselves out of favour and consigned to the sidelines. This is much less likely with an indie label who will want to immediately start to see a return on their investment. They also retain the same employees for longer periods, many will been part of the founding of the label. So the person that loved your music, and signed you up, is likely to be there to support you throughout.

In terms of profits, independent labels often offer better profit shares than the larger companies. Don't think that they aren't run for profit though, they are, and they need to be in order to survive, however they are less interested in squeezing every last penny from their acts, and more interested in mutual success.

The cons of indie labels.

The most obvious downside to independent record labels is their limited budget. This means that marketing and promotion has to be very carefully co-ordinated and planned, something the best indie labels do very well. They usually also know the studios, rehearsal rooms, engineers and producers that suit a lower budget, without compromising the quality of the finished records.

It may also mean that, at least to begin with, your music will be released with a limited distribution.

Although most independents work with just a few acts, some take more of a 'scatter gun approach' and signs loads of artists in the hope of making it big with one or two of them. This can lead to the same battle for attention as many acts experience at the larger labels.

Labels with too few bands signed up to them may struggle to find you acts to support or to get you into the best venues. Although, if you're good enough, this shouldn't be a problem.

Lastly, you'll have to put more of the legwork in with an independent label, but you will directly benefit from the extra effort.

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