Independent Music in the Internet Era

Abstract

The development of the Internet and the popularization of social media had a profound impact on the methodology behind the creation, touring, promotion, and distribution of music. For independent artists, this resulted in the accessibility of resources previously only available to artists with significant finical resources or to those who signed contracts with major record labels. Increasing access to these resources has revolutionized the relationship between the independent artist and the music industry; resulting in a decreased reliance on major labels to establish a career through music. Despite independent artists successfully utilizing social media as a resource in unique ways since its foundation, the music industry has yet to fully adapt to the normalization of social media in a way that results in more equitable and appealing contracts for aspiring artists.