Being an independent artist has wildly changed within the musical landscape over the past decade.
With major names in the industry switching from traditional record deals to being 100% independent, this can cause some confusion between fans and anyone curious about who owns what in a musicians’ catalog.
For example, who’s among the more successful indie artists? Who has been able to be solely independent and still see great success with their music?
Who is the #1 independent artist today?
Luckily, we’ve done plenty of digging, number crunching, and streaming and have the answer below! Stay tuned: things are getting really independent around here 😉
What Does Being An Independent Artist Mean?
When you hear the phrase ‘independent artists,’ this refers to a musician that is not under any contract with a record label. That could be a large label like Capital or Atlantic or even smaller sub-labels within more prominent companies.
Regardless, indie artists are not controlled by anyone but themselves, often being free to do whatever they please in terms of music and promotion.
Another major part of being independent as a music maker is that you foot the bill for your promo, studio time, production, etc.
Instead of a record label paying those types of bills and then taking a significant chunk of the earnings, everything falls back on you.
Of course, that can sound intimidating, but as independent creators, it’s exhilarating and can reap incredible rewards. Many indie musicians will tell you they feel empowered and free to do what they want to: which, in a record deal, might not be the case.
Unfortunately, getting a record deal isn’t always what you need (or want) because of the percentages, contracts, and obligations you have to them for a given period.
We’ve all read horror stories about musicians who signed their lives away to a big label only to be put on “hold” for many years, and even some never getting to release music officially.
As independent artists, you can create as much or as little as you want. You’ll have to pay for everything, but you’ll also earn a far greater percentage of royalties, touring revenue, merch sales, etc.
Related: How Much Money Do Independent Musicians Make? [And How To Get Rich]
Who Is The Highest-Paid Independent Artist?
The highest-paid independent musician as of 2023 is Taylor Swift. Not only did Taylor decide to switch from signed to unsigned in 2022/2023, but she’s also been re-releasing iconic songs and albums once owned by her ex-labels and management.
A huge movement started because of this, with fans and other artists realizing the importance of creative and financial freedom.
Taylor Swift has gone on to drop a solely independent version of her album, ‘Speak Now,’ as well as ‘Fearless,’ ‘Red,’ and even a new album entitled ‘Midnights,’ which was released this year.
This has become a point of conversation among record execs and musicians from across the globe, as Taylor Swift did the unthinkable: she took matters into her own hands.
As an independent musician, Taylor Swift has been able to make hundreds of millions of dollars with her ‘Eras’ Tour on track to become the first tour to gross $1 billion in ticket sales.
That itself is more than enough reason to celebrate, especially considering Taylor Swift has seen record numbers of streams, downloads, radio play, and now touring performance since going independent.
That’s the power of determination, y’all.
You also want to remember that Taylor Swift started as a signed artist when she signed with Big Machine Records in 2005 at 14. With that deal, Swift released six studio albums, four of them to country radio.
So, *technically*, Taylor Swift does owe a lot of her current success to record label promotional efforts, but it’s still incredible what she’s been able to accomplish once going independent.
This has always been a linear path of success for Taylor Swift, so it’s clear her talent, grit, and songwriting are to credit for much of her triumph over the past 20 years.
This vinyl of ‘Speak Now’ (Taylor’s Version) is a great way to celebrate.
Related: How Much Has Beyonce Made From The Renaissance Tour?
Who Owns Taylor Swift’s Music Now?
One of the main reasons Taylor Swift decided to re-record her music and release it independently was because of an ongoing legal battle between her and Scooter Braun.
In 2020, Scooter Braun sold Taylor’s masters to Shamrock Holdings, a private equity firm founded as the Roy E. Disney family’s investment firm, for a whopping $405 million.
Yes. Descendents of Walt Disney.
Taylor Swift could not purchase back her original music ownership, so instead, she went back to the studio with fire in her eyes.
The tricky part about this was that Taylor Swift’s original record label, Big Machine Records, hadn’t disclosed the fact her masters were in someone else’s ownership until much later: which is what happens very often in this business.
Some guy in a suit owns basically your life’s work, and you can do nothing about it. Signing onto a label must be done with caution, as many don’t explain the legal ramifications of this decision.
Luckily, Taylor Swift had the resources to entirely reshape her brand and go solo: but only some are this privileged. Regardless, always read your contracts (especially when dealing with labels) to avoid anything remotely like this down the line.
It may even be worth hiring a lawyer to review the documents before you sign the dotted line. Hiring a tax professional is another good idea during this time.
Related: Are Musicians Considered Independent Contractors?
Who Is The Highest Independent Streaming Artist?
Moving onto streaming, an independent artist/group that saw colossal success last year was the band Suicide Boys (aka $uicideboy$), with streaming totaling 1.8 billion. This all happened as they were 100% indie, which is unheard of.
This American act from Louisiana was founded in 2014 by cousins Ruby da Cherry and Scrim. They make mainly hip-hop and punk rap music but have dabbled in other areas.
Unlike T-Swift, Suicide Boys started out with no label connections or promotional efforts, launching to the top of various charts and playlists based on fans and talent alone.
It’s always nice to see something like this happen because most of us have been programmed to think we “need” a label to succeed.
Another independent streaming artist is Bruno Major, a UK-based musician with a billion streams in his catalog.
While on the Music Business Worldwide podcast, Bruno mentioned releasing his music via AWAL and owning his own recordings.
Additionally, he has racked up more than a billion streams on Spotify, where two of his tracks – ‘Nothing’ and ‘Easily’ – have over a quarter of a billion streams each.
He’s toured alongside Sam Smith and continues to rapidly grow his fanbase and reach from Europe to North America and beyond.
So many indie musicians are bursting at the seams and pioneering through the industry; even big-name artists are doing the same.
We’re in the golden age of content creation, and musicians are no different. It’s possible to achieve these things without entering the big ‘machine,’ and we’re incredibly optimistic.
Related: What Is Britney Spears Current Net Worth [How Much Has She Made?]
Is Chance The Rapper Independent? How Much Money Does He Make From Music?
Moving on to another highly-successful indie artist, we have Chance the Rapper. Chance has turned down multiple record deals and boasts three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album.
He emerged as an indie rapper in 2012, coming to the world like we hadn’t seen before. What makes Chance the Rapper unique is that he never gave in to the pressures of the industry but instead stuck his course and has made millions because of that.
Specifically, Chance the Rapper has a net worth of $25 million as of 2022/2023 reports. Considering he’s landed massive brand deals and festival slots and has a cult-like merchandise following: Chance is in good shape heading into next year.
Besides featuring musicians like Justin Bieber, Ludacris, G Herbo, DaBaby, Ed Sheeran, 2 Chainz, Cardi B, and countless others: Chance the Rapper has paved the way for generations of future indie hit makers.
Rap has long been a misrepresented and undervalued sector of the music industry, so to see musicians get through the mess is inspiring.
Instead of signing away your life and creative control for nice jewelry and a few hundred thousand dollars: consider following in Chance’s footsteps.
It’s well worth the initial struggle.
Related: How Many Streams Does A Song Need To Go Platinum? [Inc. RIAA Rules]
Other Highly Successful Independent Musicians You Should Know
On top of Taylor Swift, Chance the Rapper, and the other indie music makers we’ve discussed thus far, there are many more to discuss.
First, here’s a list of the top 12 independent musicians out there right now: some of which you may know and love already.
- Frank Ocean
- Tech N9ne
- Mýa
- BTS
- Macklemore
- E-40
- Tinashe
- Tyler, The Creator
- Young M.A
- Nipsey Hussle
- Anderson Paak
- Gucci Mane
So, from this list, the world of independent music-making is plausible. Musicians from every genre and background are rising to the top of the charts without major label influence, changing the landscape of the musical scene.
For instance, Tinashe is an incredible example of not selling out, as she’s gone on to millions of albums worldwide: all on her own.
The same goes for Frank Ocean, who sold over 2,355,000 albums, including 1,500,000 in the United States and 600,000 in the United Kingdom.
‘BLONDE’ became his most significant release in 2016 and helped launch his career to where it stands presently.
Gucci Mane has also overcome personal and professional hurdles, selling over 3,500,000 albums, including 3,500,000 in the United States.
This is proof there’s a market for independent, self-proclaimed art. Labels can be great tools for success as a music maker, but it should never be an end all be all.
Perhaps someone reading this could one day join this list. <3
Related: How Do Billboard Charts Work? [The Hot 100 Explained]
Is It Better To Be An Independent Or Signed Artist?
Between being signed to a label and being entirely independent, there are benefits to both. For example, independent artists have more creative freedom and make higher percentages from touring, merchandise, brand deals, etc.
In contrast, signing onto a record label makes getting brand deals, number one records, touring, and securing much-needed promo easier, often for a fee or upfront contract you must agree to.
Think of this as indie musicians are free to do whatever they want: but they have to work much harder to see the success a signed artist will see without doing as much labor.
Record labels have access to playlists, TV shows, billboards, networking, and commercial endeavors you don’t have as an independent artist.
That could be a reason to sign onto one, but we recommend being incredibly detailed in your contract.
Record labels want to make money: with or without you.
If you don’t make them money, they no longer care about you. You could be a newbie or fricking Mariah Carey; it’s the bottom line they’re after.
This is the darker side of the music business, with many people falling into the shadows because they didn’t read their contracts from the big labels.
We’re independent artists and always see it being that way: so to us, it’s better to work hard and reap the rewards solo.
These articles are also worth reading:
How Do Artists Get Booked To Play At Coachella? [Inc. Agencies To Use]
LANDR vs eMastered: Which Is Better? [Pricing, Features, Reviews]
You must be logged in to post a comment.