Have you heard of Indie Rock? According to wikipedia.com, “Indie rock” is used as an umbrella term covering a wide range of artists and styles close to rock music, connected by some degree of allegiance to the values of underground culture and counterculture. In other words, it is a music of group of people who manage and organize their own music and careers. They, themselves are responsible for their album releases, airplays, and promotions. The following are some indie rock genres of the 1990s:

• Lo fi
• Noise rock
• Riot Grrl
• Math rock
• Post rock
• Indie pop

According to the article I have read, a lot of indie record shops are disappearing. Why is this happening? Most of these shops are closing because they cannot afford to stay open. What is the main reason for this? I think because of the fast phased technology especially the advancement in the world wide web, it is already possible to get your own copy of album for free. How great for consumers, but how sad for producers! This is the sad thought and reason why many artist especially indie artists fail to go the extra mile because of these hindrances and challenges in music industry.

One of the things II like in indie music is the unpredictableness of the artists and the song itself. Unlike with the other usual songs we hear from the radio, indie music is a kind of music that you would want to hear every now and then because of its uniqueness.

For indie artists, knowing what people seek in a song, you must be unpredictable. Catch their attention. Since indie songs are not as popular as rock, pop, or jazz songs, when people got to hear this the first time, your song must make an impact to them so that they will seek for your song every now and then.

In the indie music industry, it is important to produce your own genuine song. For those who are naturally talented, this is easy for them to do. But for the beginners, challenges will surely come your way. There will be risks around. If you will just focus your mind and if you know your target then the crooked road may go straight. You can know step by step what producing genuine song means.

Being genuine is being authentic. The great thing here is, it does not matter if you have an organized idea or thoughts. What is important is your personal touch on the song.

“Often, a deal from an independent label is quite the same to that of a major label. In instances where an independent label is distributed by a major label, the independent label itself will have to have a major-label deal. In this case, the independent label would want to be sure that their contract with their artists covers the same issues as the independent’s own contract with the major label. In other cases, independent labels offer similar contracts to major labels because they want to look more professional. An independent label that thinks it will eventually be dealing frequently with major labels will have a similar contract in order to avoid having to redraft contracts in the future. There are also plenty of cases in which independent labels have contracts that do not resemble major label contracts in any way. In general, independent labels that are not affiliated with a major label are more willing to take chances and are able to be more flexible in their deals.”Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_(music)#Going_major_versus_staying_indie

 “When a band goes on tour, it may or may not have the financial backing of its label. An artist receives a fixed fee or a percentage of the tickets sold by the venue owner or promoter. Touring is an expensive process. A moderate estimate of touring costs with a bus and small crew can easily reach $15,000 a week. If an artist tours with the support of their label, the expenses are all recoupable, thus potentially increasing a band’s debt. Many successful bands tour without the support of their label so that they can keep all of their touring revenue. An independent band would have more difficulty than a highly successful one in being self-sufficient on tour.”

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_(music)#Going_major_versus_staying_indie

The independent music scene has been around for some time now. It started with  a do-it-yourself way of thinking which started in the 1970’s with the genre punk, and has since evolved into the indie scene that we know today. Indie artists are more concerned with expressing themsleves rather than the commercial aspect of the business, thus giving their sound a characteristic rough feel to it. During tours, indie bands will usually fund their own concerts and shows, enlisting the help of local indie bands for their support. Because there is a strong sense of oneness among indie bands and enthusiasts, it was common to see joint performances and tours.

 “If a band moves to a major label, it does not necessarily guarantee the band’s success. Only about 1 in 10 CDs released by major labels make any profit for the label. It is possible for an artist to make more money producing and promoting their own CDs than signing with a major label. However, an independent label that is creatively productive is not necessarily financially lucrative. Independent labels are often one-or two-person operations with almost no outside assistance and run out of tiny offices.This lack of resources can make it extremely difficult for a band to make revenue from sales. One thing an artist can consider doing if they want to be noticed by a major label is starting their own independent label. A successful independent label with a strong musical reputation can be very appealing to a major label. Major labels rely on independent labels to stay current within the ever-changing music scene. Independent labels are often very good at discovering local talent and promoting specialized genres.”Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_(music)#Going_major_versus_staying_indie

For small indie bands just starting out, it would be best not to hire a manager yet. That would be a presumtious and, a it foolish thing to do, given that you still don’t have any money to pay your crew. Instead, try to get your band hired at local gatherings, business openings and the like. For these, it would be best to build up a contact list which could connect you to different people. Also, it’s a good idea to keep an open mind to being hired for free, because as they say, any publicity, good or bad, is better than no publicity.

Be Good to the Ears
To reach a wider audience without even being there, recording your songs is a must. This allows you to get more people to listen to how great your music really is. But recording the perfect song is not always easy. This requires patience and long hours at the studio going over all the minute details which could potentially lower the quality of how you sound. This will eventually pay off, don’t worry. For every hour that you give to upping the ante on your recording will amplify how well you sound to the person listening to your song. That is surely worth it.