Independent music
Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is music produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries;[1] this may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing.
This article is about independently-produced music. For the "do-it-yourself" music aesthetic associated with indie, see Lo-fi music. For other uses, see Indie music (disambiguation).As a genre term, "indie" may or may not comprise independently produced music. Many independent music artists do not fall into a single defined musical style or genre, with their self-published music being able to be categorized into diverse genres without the expectations associated with commercial music.
Characteristics[edit]
Although "Indie" was first used to described music released on independent record labels, the term grew to describe a specific sound.[1] A defining characteristic of indie music is that artists retain much more creative control over their music as compared to major labels.[1] Indie music generally represents guitar-oriented music which strays away from commercial conventions.[1] It often features lyrics that are earnest and emotive, with many cultural and sociopolitical references.[1]
History[edit]
Origins of independent labels[edit]
Independent labels have a long history of promoting developments in popular music, stretching back to the post-war period in the United States, with labels such as Sun Records, King Records, and Stax.[2] In the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s, the major record companies had so much power that independent labels struggled to become established, until the launch of new concepts like Virgin Records.[3] Several British producers and artists launched independent labels as outlets for their work and artists they liked; the majority failed as commercial ventures or were bought by the major labels.[2]