ABSTRACT
This chapter looks closely at independent record labels in the modern age, what they are and how they operate, from the signing and development of artists, to the peculiarities of their deals and music distribution. Major labels may be just as likely as indie labels to find and foster innovative, left-of-center talent, while any given indie might primarily focus on record sales and the bottom line. The indie market share in 2015 for both labels and distributors, moreover, represents a reduction from the prior year. The contours of any given relationship between a label and its distributor are nuanced and diverse. Whether an independent label is distributed by a major or an independent company matters for several important reasons. Major distribution allows record labels to maintain their literal independence, while gaining the benefit of the majors' distribution and promotion channels. Many independents exist entirely outside the major-label system, distributed instead by one of the wholly independent distributors.
