MAINTSTREAM vs INDIE

One Direction

• First appearing in the X-Factor competition individually,in 2010
• Not successful, Simon Cowell signed them as a group to Syco Records
• Conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment, valued them at $50m by 2012
• Genre: Pop, Pop Rock, and Teen Pop

Advantages to Mainstream Labels

• Artists can have more money invested into them
• So Major labels have higher spending budgets
• Variety of merchandise available to consumers
• Also major labels have better distribution networks to promote music

Disadvantages of Mainstream Labels

• Major labels tend to control the content of the artists 
• Some of the artists content may be discarded 
• Major Labels prioritise money profits over the love for the music
• Major Labels pose unfair deals to artists 
• Some upcoming artists may have to fight for attention

Lanterns on the Lake

• A self-constructed group since 2007
• Have signed to independent record label Bella Union in 2010
• Bella Union's artists mainly composed of Rock artists - 'Flaming Lips'
• Genre: Indie

Advantages of Indie Labels

• Generally small independent labels sign artists they admire
• Artists experience more freedom from their label
• In some cases artists get the rights to their music
• Small independent labels offer higher profits to artists
• Artists have more choice in how they represent themself

Disadvantages of Indie Labels

• Small Independent Labels have limited funds to spend on artists
• Promoting, Merchandise, and CD distributing is smaller
• Artists signed to Indie Labels have less power in the music Industry 
• Small Independent labels have less links in the music Industry