Most folks outside the music industry see two potential options for career paths for musicians:
- They become a world-famous arena touring rock star.
- They work desk jobs to get by financially and pretend to be full time musicians.
If number two disturbed something inside you, I promise I *get* it.
Today, I’m launching The Indigo Incubator to help musicians of all kinds chart their unique paths to financial and creative freedom. The Indigo Incubator is a recording production company and independent artist/producer development program, which offers access to a network of creatives, who work together to help each other complete projects, and lean on one another to remain accountable and productive. We are developing a team of creatives to operate like an independent label, with a team of industry professionals of music producers, mix/master engineers, songwriters, PR, legal guidance, graphic design and a content team. We are currently seeking creative partners to join our team remotely. You set your preferred services and rates, and we connect you to creatives looking for those services. In this model, more business for you means more success for all of us. There are no contracts and you’re not locked in like you would be in a management or record deal.
The idea for The Indigo Inc. is rooted in using the same process label marketers and Fortune 500 companies would for strategic planning and business development. If you want to be a successful business, then you need to plan like one.
One of the music industry trends of 2021 is the power shift from major record labels to indie music. Independent musicians are actually the fastest-growing segment of the global recorded music business.
Take a look at reality and you’ll find plenty of musicians who are something in between the staunch view of the music industry outsider: there’s a large amount of independent musicians who aim to make their living off of their music and they are successful in finding a variety of ways to do so. The key isn’t streaming, as 82% of artists make under $270 annually from streaming platforms.
Let’s look at the numbers. A new report from MIDiA Research fielded in partnership with digital music distributor Amuse says independent artists generated more than $643 million in 2018, a 35% jump from the year before.
With less of an adherence to labels, there will be new key players and new ways of doing business — think fewer managers and more short-term contracts. 
That’s where the idea for The Indigo Incubator was born.
The vision behind the Indigo Incubator simply follows what independent artists want, which *DOES NOT* typically align with the interest of labels. That is why we are not a record label. (Please see the chart below and take a moment to digest.)
For artists, you don’t need labels to reach your audience any more. Technological advancements now allow you to share your work with the world, and this should fuel your ability to make music (and keep ownership of it), while building your career at your own pace and to your own preferences. Eighty-three percent of independent artists said it’s important for them to retain creative control over their music. Independent and label artists say they think artists have more control of their careers than ever before — and that kind of empowerment means that artists no longer see signing to a label as the road to success. Y’all are RIGHT.
Most artists dream of a label deal that offers financial security. But 59% of independent artists said they were frequently worried about their financial position, compared to 48% of label artists. That doesn’t sound much better, does it? About half of independent and label artists alike say they often have cash flow problems because their income isn’t predictable. In 2019, average income paints a similar picture: independent artists earned an average of $12,860 a year off music, and label artists earned an average of $23,913. About three-quarters of independent artists earned less than $10,000 a year from music, compared to 61% of label artists. That finding underscores a truth that working musicians already knew: being signed to a label, while itcan be beneficial for sales and distribution, doesn’t guarantee financial success.
The MIDiA survey also examined the motivations and mentalities behind what musicians consider success in their chosen field — and there was some variation between independent or label artists. Both groups ranked achieving respect and recognition in their scenes as the top sign of success, but the response was greater among label musicians (87%) compared to independent artists (53%).
Aligning incentives with what individual artists need is essential now. Short-term contracts – as exist in the corporate business world – is the future of the music industry. Artists shouldn’t be locked into long-term contracts that aren’t financially or spiritually benefitting them.
The truth is that success for every artist, producer, session artist, graphic designer, or content creative looks different – and the power to create that happy, successful version of you is ready to be served hot on a platter – if you’re hungry. Half of independent artists said success looks like building up a fan base of any size, and you can start working on that yesterday.
The Indigo Incubator helps independent artists become self sufficient in making money, running their business and supports their self actualization. We help artists, music producers, and session players work through the pain points – and confusion – that come with “doing everything yourself”, and help create individualized strategic plans and guide you along the way to reaching your goals. Basically, we create that network and team for YOU to help run your business.
I’ve got big visions for The Indigo Inc. and you can check out some of that progress live on our site here as we grow and build. For now, the company is operating as a remote team/network during COVID-19, but we are looking forward to launching the first-ever female owned and operated commercial recording studio in Nashville in the future when things are safe.
For now, be sure to sign up for our newsletter on our website (www.theindigoinc.com), follow @TheIndigoInc on social (Twitter/LinkedIn/Instagram), and if you’re a creative professional looking to get involved, fill out this form here. We’ll get back to you for a 1 on 1 conversation to see if there’s synergy for us to work together, no pressure.