The Hardest Decision Ever: Major Label or Indie Label
If you happen to be a musician, then before you do anything regarding your contract, make sure you sign for the right company. Normally, this means you will have to choose between a major record label and an indie label. Although musicians are tempted into signing for a major record label, there are some compelling reasons to sign for an indie label. Here is a look at the pros and cons of signing to an indie label.
Pros
Get more respect
There are some good reasons to sign to an indie label and among the most important reasons to do so is the fact that indie labels show more respect for your music. They give you the freedom to work with anyone you want to and they also will not pressurize you into sacrificing your tastes in order to become a big selling musician. When you sign for an indie label, they will probably be very impressed with your music and so will be more dedicated about ensuring your success.
Close relationships
Second, musicians who sign to indie labels also realize that this means they can develop a close bond and relationship with the label which is normally not the case if they choose to sign for a major record label. Indie labels are small in size and they don’t have a very large roster. Thus, it is easy for musicians to develop close bonds with the label and will find it easy to speak with the label’s reps, which again is not always the case when signing for a major record label.
Artist-friendly contracts
Best of all, when you sign to an indie label, your contract with them will be more artist friendly. With a major record label, there are complex contracts while with an indie label a handshake is normally enough to start a relationship. Indie labels also generally do not demand creative control over the musician, and they also do not force musicians into entering into long-term contracts involving multiple albums.
Downsides
Low monetary rewards
Now, let’s look at the downsides of signing to an indie label. Obviously, the number one reason why musicians choose not to sign to an indie label is because indie labels do not offer the same monetary rewards as major record labels. Not too many indie labels are financially strong and their operations are generally on the small side. They won’t give you a big advance and nor will they offer fancy packaging or large recording budgets.
Not very organized
Second, indie labels are not the most organized entities and so their operations are of an informal nature. This can confuse you and often some details may be omitted in the contract.
Small size
Finally, indie labels are small in size and though this means closer contacts with the label it also means they lack the purchasing power of major record labels. Also, given the fact they do not have so many connections, they cannot pull strings where it matters.
After evaluating the pros and cons of signing to an indie label, it pays to sign to an indie label because it means musicians have total control over their creative spirits. Also, the close relationships with the label are another reason to opt for an indie label.
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