Are TRULY independant artists black-balled?

[Henri Christophe]

what are the connects that a major label can offer that are not available to TRULY independant artists? Not talking these fake plants that have deals behind the scenes.

And are these connects unavailable to independant artists on purpose? Do they not want them to eat? Or is it still possible to gain traction by being TRULY independant?


If everything is digital, what do major labels offer that you can't do for yourself in terms of getting to the consumer?


Forget the big bag of money, what can they really do for you that you can't do for yourself? And is this done on purpose?

 

[CrimsonTider]

No they aren't they just don't have the resources and relationships and marketing teams majors have

 

[Henri Christophe]

No they aren't they just don't have the resources and relationships and marketing teams majors have

What's the resources breh? Front page on Apple Music? Breakfast club?

What do the marketing teams do?



It seems labels these days just give you a bag of money then tell you to go get yourself hot...

 

[tuckgod]

The industry (print, tv, radio, podcasts, label) is all connected.

If a major label wants to block an independent artists shine, all they have to do is call in a favor.

They can't stop the artist's paper if the artist has a strong fan base, but they can block opportunities for them to increase their fanbase using traditional media.

 

[Renegade47]

you not getting big in the industry without someone getting a cut. your ceiling is tech n9ne independently you wont see an independent drake/taylor swift/chance the rapper.

 

[OnlyInCalifornia]

The industry (print, tv, radio, podcasts, label) is all connected.

If a major label wants to block an independent artists shine, all they have to do is call in a favor.

They can't stop the artist's paper if the artist has a strong fan base, but they can block opportunities for them to increase their fanbase using traditional media.

Well said.

 

[Henri Christophe]

The industry (print, tv, radio, podcasts, label) is all connected.

If a major label wants to block an independent artists shine, all they have to do is call in a favor.

They can't stop the artist's paper if the artist has a strong fan base, but they can block opportunities for them to increase their fanbase using traditional media.

you not getting big in the industry without someone getting a cut. your ceiling is tech n9ne independently you wont see an independent drake/taylor swift/chance the rapper.

Vicious

 

[Young/Nacho\Drawz]

The industry (print, tv, radio, podcasts, label) is all connected.

If a major label wants to block an independent artists shine, all they have to do is call in a favor.

They can't stop the artist's paper if the artist has a strong fan base, but they can block opportunities for them to increase their fanbase using traditional media.

I agree BUT... That isn't necessarily blackballing. If the machine can't eat from you then why help you in the first place? That doesn't mean they are blocking you they just don't want to do business with you.

 

[Young/Nacho\Drawz]

The industry (print, tv, radio, podcasts, label) is all connected.

If a major label wants to block an independent artists shine, all they have to do is call in a favor.

They can't stop the artist's paper if the artist has a strong fan base, but they can block opportunities for them to increase their fanbase using traditional media.

I agree BUT... That isn't necessarily blackballing. If the machine can't eat from you then why help you in the first place? That doesn't mean they are blocking you they just don't want to do business with you.

 

[Notorious 1 E.Y.E.]

What's the resources breh? Front page on Apple Music? Breakfast club?

What do the marketing teams do?



It seems labels these days just give you a bag of money then tell you to go get yourself hot...

they have a budget to put your shyt out there. its easier on the artist because its not their money

 

[Henri Christophe]

So all these nikkas who out here claiming to do it themselves and talkin all that fly independant shyt basically just some lying ass nikkas?

 

[tuckgod]

I agree BUT... That isn't necessarily blackballing. If the machine can't eat from you then why help you in the first place? That doesn't mean they are blocking you they just don't want to do business with you.

If you have an artist that has obvious talent, a solid fan base, and demand for their music, yet you can't find an ad for their album in any magazines and on no blog sites, their records never get played on radio, mix show DJ's act like the artist doesn't exist, their records don't get play in any major clubs, and their songs/albums never appear on any awards show ballots, even though their art is obviously equal to or superior to most of the nominees' material, I would call that being blackballed, breh.

A lot of the time you have an artist, that would be a slam dunk for the industry, get ignored because they failed to kiss the right execs ass on their come up, and that exec chose to hold a grudge by blocking them from getting any traditional media coverage.

Happens every day.

 

[Uitomy]

If you have an artist that has obvious talent, a solid fan base, and demand for their music, yet you can't find an ad for their album in any magazines and on no blog sites, their records never get played on radio, mix show DJ's act like the artist doesn't exist, their records don't get play in any clubs, and their songs/albums never appear on any awards show ballots, even though their art is obviously superior over most of the nominees' material, I would call that being blackballed, breh.

A lot of the times you have an artist, that would be a slam dunk for the industry, get ignored because they failed to kiss the right execs ass on their come up, and that exec chose to hold a grudge by blocking them from getting any traditional media coverage.

Happens every day.

I'm guessing this is what happened to curren$y but he should be a leader to independents cause all you described applies to him but he still doing well

 

[Harry B]

you not getting big in the industry without someone getting a cut. your ceiling is tech n9ne independently you wont see an independent drake/taylor swift/chance the rapper.

Depends on how great you are at business.

Chance The Rapper is fully independent, dude doesn't even release physical music.
He got together with great people, among them one of the heaviest cats in artist management, Cara Lewis.
People owe her a lot of favors for her decades of putting in work, so now she's spending some of them on a dude she likes and got him some 3-4 tv-shows. Btw, didn't Frank Ocean go completely indie with Blonde?

Other than that he's not doing shyt other can't do, he has people handling his business and all that, probably signed some publishing management deal.


If you can get together with a crew and do it efficiently, it's possible. But often a label can do it for the same price as you wasting all your time, spending your own money, hiring mad people, handling logistics, licenses, deals and all that shyt.


I think indie labels will grow in this era, cause they have people, some contacts and will put up some of the money. While the majors often have better people, contacts and put up more, but they want to own you too.

 

[The Ruler 09]

Depends in what area, some artists are blackballed at radio, at venues/events etc. It all depends on the individual situation..