In 2016 independent music finally burst from the shadows of the corporate beast and provided an alternative to everything that record companies stand for. Rather than only being around for the money, prestige and power, a new wave of independent musicians are putting the heart back into the music industry.
“This is real, I’m not signed, this is independence” were the words of Skepta after he won the 2016 Mercury prize, proof finally that musicians can shed the shackles of the ‘deal’ and succeed for themselves. For many years record companies have reaped the rewards of their positions of power, knowing that any artist who wanted to succeed would have to pursue a record deal. This reign of terror, however, is now coming to an end.
It is now easier than ever for independent artist with streaming sites such as iTunes, Spotify and YouTube giving them a platform to reach a much wider audience which hasn’t been possible in years gone by. And through this they can become self-sufficient. Saquib Butt says: “If they convert just a small percentage into paying fans, they’ve got a creditable income”.
In fact, the independent route can now be a more favourable one for emerging artists as it allows them to keep full control of the rights to their music and to earn 100% of the royalties that they are making. Although a record company has many contacts for creating a team, independently you can create a much closer-knit band of supporters who care about you and your music rather than just making money, which in the end is the main purpose of a record company.
Because of this new power and success independent artists have, record companies are going to have to adapt to be fairer to artists and these changes will improve the face of the music industry. Musicians are not desperate to sign; they can survive on their own and therefore have more power while negotiating with a major label. AJ Tracy has said he would only sign a deal if a record company could do something which he couldn’t. AJ said, “In fact, I believe that in the next couple of years we could even see record companies become increasingly obsolete unless they adapt to the new challenges that the success of independent artists will pose to them.”
There is an argument to be made that despite the success of independent musicians, record companies still hold the major positions of power and will continue to do so. With their financial clout and contacts within the industry, a record company will always have the power to make or break an artist. And although some artists may be able to work independently, most notably Grime artists, some bands will always need the financial support to be able to fully realise their goals.
The reaction to the recent success of independent artists has been overwhelmingly positive. Fellow independent musicians have been able to observe the models of successful artists such as Skepta, JME and Frank Ocean who have all charted without the help of the traditional record company support. It also has seen artists feel that they have more creative freedom, as they no longer have to change their music to make it more palatable and commercial to get the support of the record company. Media coverage has also supported this shift of power, as the media understand that the public identify with these ‘self-made’ artists who had been through the ‘struggle’ because it makes them seem more accessible. People like to be a part of someone’s story and to feel they helped propel an artist into the spotlight by supporting them and buying their albums.