Independent Artist Vs. Signed Artist: What Should You Choose?

In the music industry, there are two types of musicians. One is the independent artist, and the other is the signed artist. If you pay enough attention, you will get to see that thousands of artists are there who are working all by themselves as independent music makers. On the other hand, there are many artists who are associated with recording labels for creating their music. There is a huge debate on which path is better for a music artist. Is it better to work as an independent artist or as a signed artist? Each path has its advantages and disadvantages. However, if you are an aspiring artist, you might have also thought about this. It is quite difficult to figure out what direction to choose at the time of working as a musician. Thus, let’s find out the pros and cons of both independent and signed artists-

·         Independent music artists-

Ø  Pros of independent artists:

There are many advantages of working as an independent artist. Here are a few of the

1.       Ownership:

An independent artist gets 100% ownership of their music. When you are working as an independent artist, you are the one who is doing all the work. From writing to producing and even distributing the soundtrack. There is not even a single person who is contributing to making the music. So, when you are accomplishing a music project and taking it to the audience, you are the sole responsible person. That is why you get the complete ownership of a song that most signed artists cannot do, as they are associated with a recording label. Hence, it is a perk that you will get if you are an independent musician.

2.       Creative liberty:

When you are working all alone on a music project, there is no control over anyone. This way, you will be able to showcase your creative side and artistic direction. Being an independent singer, you can make music on anything. There will not be anyone to stop you from creating the music that you want to create. For all music artists, creative liberty is one of the most important things. It is the whole point of working as an artist. If you cannot put all your heart into it, there will not be any fun left. So, it is a perk that comes with being an independent music creator.

3.       Make a direct connection with the audience:

If you are an independent artist, you will be able to make a great connection with the audience. In this manner, it becomes even easier because you are the sole face of a music project. You are making the music from scratch, and you are the only one who is promoting it as well. So, the communication increases more when you are working as an independent artist. It is a great advantage to be such a musician.

Cons of independent artists:

Being an independent artist comes with many cons as well. Let’s find out some of them-

1.       Too much work:

Every independent artist will agree that there is too much workload when you are working as an independent artist. You have to take care of composing, writing the lyrics, producing, marketing, and even promoting. There is going to be no one who will help you in this matter. So, managing all these on your own becomes a little problematic in this matter. And that is why it is considered one of the biggest cons.

2.       Lack of financial stability:

When you are working as an independent artist, it is you have to pay all the money for the production. In a music creation, quite a large amount of money is required. It is really difficult to manage music production all the time. That is why most independent artists cannot come up with new music frequently. It is not that easy to spend so much money on making music.

·         Signed music artist-

Ø  Pros of signed music artists:

There are many pros of being a signed music artist. Here are some of them-

1.       Get professional support:

As a music artist, when you are working with recording labels, you will be able to get help from the professionals. You will be able to get access to expert music engineers who will help you with music mixing and everything. In addition to that, they will help you with a song recording and even production. So, all you need to do is prepare a song and sing it. You do not have to take any responsibility after that. They also promote it because their business is also associated with it. Hence, it is a huge perk of being a signed artist.

2.       Get better resources:

If you are a signed artist, you will get various resources that are beyond the dreams of an independent artist. You will get the support of finances when it comes to making music videos or going on a tour. They are going to fund everything you require. Thus, it is a great advantage of working as a signed artist.

3.       Rapid growth:

Working as a signed music artist can lead one to achieve growth in a hassle-free way, as there is a back of the right labels, an artist gets the advantage of working on several projects that an independent artist can never get. That is why, if an artist works with a recording label, they will be able to achieve more growth within a brief span.

Ø  Cons of signed music artists-

A signed artist faces many disadvantages. Find some of them-

1.       Lesser earnings:

When you are working as a signed artist, you are getting the chance to work on many projects, but you will not get to earn that much. It is seen that when an artist is working with a label, a large portion of the money goes to the recording label. That is why artists do not get the chance to make that much money. It is a huge problem that all artists go through.

2.       Lack of creativity:

If you are associated with a label, you have to follow a lot of protocols. All companies come with their own set of protocols and rules. The music artists working with them have to follow them blindly. That is why, many times, artist lose their power of creativity and the recording label becomes a barrier to it. This is a huge problem that is quite unavoidable while working with a recording company.

All the pros and cons of both independent and signed artists have been explained. From this, you can get a clear idea of what one might face being an artist. As a music maker, if you want creative freedom, then you must work as an independent artist. And if you want the constant financial support, then being a signed artist is your only choice. So, you need to choose according to your requirement and continue working as a musician.