You Know what i mean

What do “signed” artists have that Independent Artists do not?

Signed artists are talents who have been discovered and are under a contractual agreement to share any profits with their label or group of representation. They often have access to key industry professionals who can open doors beyond what hard work alone can achieve. Typically, signed artists have contractual splits of publishing and master rights with their label, which may also include writers, producers, and collaborators. There is often a paid team helping to build the artist's brand and promote their work, along with a budget supplied by the label.

Independent artists, on the other hand, usually lack the resources to pull together a professional team. When they do have a team, it’s often made up of close friends or acquaintances who are willing to help support the artist’s growth, usually without any contractual ties or profit until the indie artist expands and acquires a budget or significant funds to invest. Independent artists manage all aspects of their projects without representation and retain ownership of their royalties, masters, publishing rights, and copyrights.

Most independent artists are self-taught in business. While they handle tasks like booking their own shows, managing registrations, and claiming rights to their music, they are often new to branding themselves and may struggle with how to grow their fanbase. Indie artists sometimes seek out management agreements or digital distribution deals to guide them when facing career crossroads.

Can I maximize my success without access to major record labels and a big budget?

It won’t be easy, but yes, you can. Although connections and relationships may open doors, if you master your own editorial process, you may not need to rely on others to succeed—you might be positioning yourself to be in the room, too!

To put it simply, if you understand what goes into being “signed” and the behind-the-scenes work, like song registration, content creation, promotions, press releases, and marketing, you’ll be better equipped to succeed independently.

When you register your music with copyright, publishing, performing rights organizations, mechanical licensing, and sound scans, it becomes like muscle memory. The weight lifts as you realize that every interaction—whether networking with DJs to spin your track or pitching to radio stations—pays off because you own your masters, publishing, and all rights to your music.

That’s all for now—visit us next week for more! You know what I mean 😉