Independent music

Styles that evolved out of indie music and reached wide commercial success in the 1990s include grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Smashing Pumpkins) and Britpop (Blur, Pulp, and Oasis).

[1] Important albums that contributed to this style include Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Depeche Mode's Speak & Spell (1981).

[8] Defining American albums of this era include Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation (1988) and Pixies' Doolittle (1989).

[8] Indie music reached wide commercial success in the 1990s, especially with Britpop bands like Blur, Pulp, and Oasis.

[1] As well, American grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Smashing Pumpkins received mainstream success.

[5] In 1991, the Grammys added an Alternative section to its awards ceremony, for "non-traditional form[s]" existing "outside of the mainstream music consciousness".

[1] Widely popular indie rock bands of this era include Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys.

[9] They are often able to support artists working in niche styles of music,[10] and rely heavily on personal networking, or word of mouth, to expose their acts.

[10] Many current artists use their own resources to produce, record, market and release music through Spotify, SoundCloud, and other streaming platforms with social media in a direct, do-it-yourself manner allowing creative distribution.

[14] There is the potential for artists to gain large numbers of streams on Spotify if their music are included in certain popular playlists.

[10] Artists who maintain their copyrights usually must sacrifice other parts of their deal, and must give the label a temporary license to the recordings.

[16][10] Additionally, some independent labels will cover an album's recording costs instead of proving a set dollar amount as an advance.

[17][10] One issue is that artists often forgo their mechanical royalties in 50-50 deals,[10] and it can be more difficult to recoup the advance, meaning it takes longer to turn a profit.

[24] The genre grew from traditional and contemporary folk, but took a distinctly independent approach inspired by indie rock.

[24] Notable 21st century indie folk artists include Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Great Lake Swimmers, Sufjan Stevens, and Phoebe Bridgers.

[28][29] Indietronica largely grew in popularity in the 2000s, with the rising accessibility to home recording and software synthesizers.

[30] Indietronica artists usually release their music on independent labels, with examples including Sub Pop, Warp, and Ghostly International.