There is this question every musician asks themselves. Independent artist vs. record label, which is best?

As we all know, technology has completely changed the way the music industry works. If an artist absolutely depended on a record label before, now anyone can publish music, carry their own marketing strategies and creative image, and more.

This, of course, can get harder and harder as your audience gets bigger and your schedule gets tighter. There are thousands of independent artists trying to figure out if it’s better to stay independent or if they should take a record deal.

If you’re one of them, we are going to talk about some pros and cons of these two options

Independent artists:

Pros

• As an independent artist, you get to keep almost 100% of your royalties

When you are signed with a label, in most cases they are the ones who own your master since they helped finance the recording. This usually ends up taking a big chunk of earnings.

Since most likely you would be the owner of your composition and master, this means that any profits your music makes would go almost 100% towards you. Without counting the percentage that music distributors take, which is usually not a lot.

• Full creative control.

Creative control means that you can choose how you want to present yourself and your music. A lot of times record labels control a lot of what an artist does, especially on social media. They can also alter or modify an artist’s image and some artists are not too comfortable with this.

A great thing about being an independent artist in these times is that if you need assistance with a specific side of the industry, like marketing or physical distribution you can just choose to hire online music services specialized in independent artists.

There are countless services online that can help with your specific area of interest. You can pretty much outsource anything including the management and creation of your website and/or social media.

Cons

• Limited budget.

Everything including the recording of your music and mastering will be something you have to cover. The business side like social media and promotion is more about time and contacts, so make sure you have enough resources to cover these.

• Limited business experience and time. 

Keep in mind that being an independent artist means you’ll be in charge of not only your music but also your marketing, merchandise, copyright issues, and everything related to sustaining your music career. 

It is definitely possible to manage this side of your career but it does require a fair amount of organization, research, and time.

Record Label

Pros

• Industry resources

Record labels usually have a lot of connections within the industry, this can result in great publishing, and licensing deals. It can also get you to amazing venues and secure festivals.

• Higher budget and industry knowledge. 

Labels can be able to provide you with the necessary resources to succeed, such as marketing strategies, copyright issues handled, and most importantly the recording sessions and masterings of your music.

Since the label has specialized people in each area you don’t really have to worry about anything else than making music.

Cons

• You give up a big part of your royalties

Since the record label is “investing” in you, they usually claim complete ownership of the master. The label also acts as the publisher most times which means in the end the artists usually get 8%-25% from the royalties.

• Limited creative control

Labels will take care of all the marketing strategies, publicity, and deals but that comes at a cost. The label can have a certain amount of control over your image, but most importantly your music’s image and artwork.

• Since Labels usually own the master rights they can negotiate deals without your approval.

All these things are definitely important to consider since the best option for you is going to depend on your resources, and what you personally believe would suit you better.