Mainstream Artists vs Independent Artists [jakjaison]

Mainstream Artists vs Independent Artists

[jakjaison]

“So, who is your favourite, Britney Spears or Kayne West?” My friend asked me. She was inspecting my personal collection of records.  My definite answer was Britney as I used to hear her tracks from my college days. The latter is just an addition to my collection. Britney Spears, without any doubt, is a name we read with a well defined group of mainstream artists and the other singer started himself as an independent artist and got himself into mainstream fame later. What makes the boundary between these two terms, Mainstream and Indie? It will be better to know the answer if you are a true music lover.

Mainstream Music

Mainstream media is popular mass media characterized by large distribution channels, organized advertising campaigns, and well-written contracts between artists and major record labels. Mainstream artists have major recording labels like Warner (WMG), Sony (SME), and Universal (UMG) and various sub-labels that render their platform for mutual business gains. Such artists find an easy access to public distribution networks or hit charts of various agencies or stations. You can find their songs get listed frequently in TOP 40 by MTV or by other popular radio stations or get entry to Billboard Magazine’s charts. The chance of being successful as an artist is high if you associate yourself with mainstream media or agents of top recording labels. More than that, you get a chance to get noticed by Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) and Nielsen Soundscan. In countries like USA, this happens because mainstream artists are associated with the pop/rock culture that is well received by present generation. Rihana, Pink, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Madonna, and Bruno Mars are some of the mainstream artists who became successful by their talent as well as their association with major labels.

Indie Music

There are some people who stick to their talent and belief and develop their own space of music. Being called as independent artists, they care for their own style, genre, and spheres of innovation. Usually indie artists don’t approach major labels for recording, production, and marketing of their records. Indie music remains as a sub-culture, but that does not mean it has got less talent. There are many artists who themselves made established in their own ways of art and got into mainstream. Kayne West and Eminem are examples for such indie artists. Many indie rock/heavy metal artists prefer to remain as independent artists. There are cases where successful independent artists are approached by major labels for distribution rights.

There is a well-said phrase, “Mainstream sells well but indie not.” The recent advancement in network technology (Torrent sites and internet radio stations) allows people to search and download music of their choice. This reduces the prominence of mainstream media and labels in coming years. And, mainstream in one country may not be the same in another country. One who has got real talent should not be worried about not getting associated with mainstream media. It is the quality that wins at the end!

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