About
The Independent Record Sector
The independent record sector accounts for some of the world’s most exciting and diverse music, and is responsible for over three quarters of new releases and a quarter of the world market. Independents invest in new musical genres and break exciting new trends, continually pushing the boundaries of popular culture through innovation, experimentation and calculated risk-taking.
In the US, independent-signed artists received a total of over 80 nominations for this year’s prestigious Grammy Awards, while UK independents received the coveted Mercury Music Prize on four occasions between 2003 and 2008.
Independent-signed artists include Arcade Fire, Paul McCartney, The Eagles, Nickelback, Arctic Monkeys, Bjork, Thom Yorke, Nine Inch Nails, The White Stripes, Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, The Shins, Plain White T's, Tom Waits, Adele, Tim McGraw, Carla Bruni, Franz Ferdinand, Rascal Flatts, Slipknot, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Editors, M.I.A., Sufjan Stevens, Fler, LeAnn Rimes, Tiësto, Taylor Swift, The Rasmus, Jose Gonzalez, The Strokes, Jay Sean, Basement Jaxx, Charlotte Gainsbourg, The Raconteurs, Super Furry Animals, Pixies, Antony & The Johnsons, Jarvis Cocker, Nitin Sawhney, Enter Shikari, Pigeon Detectives, The Go! Team, Royksopp, Roots Manuva, Coldcut, Dave Clarke, Matthew Herbert, Soulwax/2 Many DJs, Tiga, Laurent Garnier, Vitalic, The Prodigy and Underworld.
