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In defining indie music it is a difficult task; saying that an indie artist or indie band does not have support from a major record label would be saying only half the truth. In fact it is not uncommon for major record labels to buy out independent record labels so they can keep a look out for fresh musical talent as well as keep in tune with the latest developments in the music world at the ‘street’ level.
The indie music industry has benefited from easy distribution of music via the internet. In fact the cost of distributing music is even cheaper if the music is distributed via the internet; all an indie artist has to do is upload his music on sites like itunes, and by paying a small fee anyone can freely download the music from the internet. However the same easy distribution of digital content is also hurting the music industry and even more so indie artists, as making digital copies of content and thus pirating music has become very simple.
Every year hundreds of artists are turned down by major record companies, and as a matter of fact only 1 in 10 artists backed by major record companies are ever profitable for the record label. It is therefore essential that new and upcoming artists are encouraged, as obviously even the big boys of music don’t get it right all the time. When it comes to creativity and ensuring that there is no bias to a particular genre of music the indie music scene allows musicians to express themselves freely without having to worry about creating music that sells.