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6 Reasons Why Your Band Should Stay Independent

6 Reasons Why Your Band Should Stay Independent
More and more people are deciding to stay independent in music today, But why? Is it right for you? Here are the top 6 reasons why staying independent is the way to go. 

1. Make the money you deserve

Musicians these days are poorly paid. Labels, management, and booking agencies make a living off of your craft and you’re left stuck struggling for ends meet. The industry needs to better cater to bands and artists so they can survive. If you stay independent you can collect all of the profits on your music. Bands need to acknowledge their own self-worth. If you’re offered a deal keep shopping and negotiating until you get exactly what you want. Don’t ever settle for less than what you’re worth.

2. Keep the rights to your music

At the end of the day hard work pays off. Looking back you’ll be more satisfied with what you’ve achieved all by yourself. Your work ethic will show in everything you do. The bands that last are the ones that can stand on their own two feet. Staying independent will be the most rewarding aspect of your music career. If you do end up signing to a label and get the deal of your dreams keep the rights to your music.

3. Crowd-funding works

Signing to a label is like going to a bank and taking out a loan. Don’t put yourself in the red. Start a crowd-funding campaign and try to raise the money so you can put out your dream album. Successful campaigns have the creative perks and incentives to encourage fans to invest in you. Most crowd-funding campaigns fail because they lack good incentives and aren’t promoted properly. Protest the Hero proves crowd-funding works.

4. Doing it yourself is the most rewarding

A lot of people don’t realize when bands sign to a label they are more than likely signing away the rights to their band’s music. Giving up your rights allows labels to do whatever they want with your songs. Your album could be shelved, pushed back, re-released, or re-written at the labels discretion and you have no say. Having complete control over your music allows you to call all of the shots. You can also make the money you deserve from your music instead of collecting pocket change in royalties.

5. Most services labels and management offer can be done on your own

Thanks to technology and the internet you can easily create, record, produce, release, promote and sell your music online all on your own. Production software is cheap and easily accessible these days so anyone can produce a professional sounding album from the comfort of their homes. Services like MusicDigi are great for online distribution of your music and they work wonders. Take advantage of social media to further promote your band and build up your fan base. Why pay for something you can do on your own?

6. Incomes Streams for Artists are on the Rise

Another, if not the most important reason on the list, is the increase in music royalties from a  variety of sources. The future of technology is fast-changing, and with the rise of digital streaming services and other royalty paying platforms, musicians are starting to earn a significant amount of royalties. This trend is not going to stop. Imagine what an artist today will be earning 10 years from now from music they have laying around on the Internet.