What it means to be Independent

Webster defines independent as “not subject to control by others: self-governing." Learning more about Entertainment media publishing and distribution, I was put into perspective as to how many rights to work and artistry that one loses when they sign a contract with an agent, record label, or investor. As a marketer it is always good to see how the artist can be branded, and who the artist can be marketed to. Fortunately for the artist, being independent has its rewards. Many people believe that in order to be a successful artist you must be signed to the best label, under the best marketing and branding team, in order to make the big bucks. However, there are many artists who are independent, own all of the rights to their music, and make good money. There is a blessing to being an independent artist. First, you have the creative leeway to do whatever you want. Many times when you sign to a record label or find an investor, they try to tell you how you should sing and what type of genre you should go into. As an independent artist you can sing whatever music you want and gain fans from what you believe to be good music. As an independent artist you don’t have to worry about the rights to your music. Sometimes when labels fund an artist they also claim rights to the music. This could lead to less money in your pocket after profits are made from the album and concerts. All in all, being independent is not as easy as it seems. Of course it is costly and the exposure is not as big as it would be if you were signed to a label. However, if you can get the following as an independent artist, you can definitely get a lot of the benefits those artists who are signed to major labels get and more.  

Definition of Independent