Part 5:
Conclusion
K&D by Ali Kepenek
Building a better music industry together
This report has demonstrated the critical role played by music in its most foundational sense: as an industry, as a series of complex economies, as a utility, and as an economic, cultural and social good. These benefits are relevant both inside the commercial music industry and outside of it. Recognizing and investing in music can do much more than deliver more revenue for the industrial machine that fuels it.
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Central to the vision that music can be more valuable for everyone involved is the belief that its value must transcend the current paradigm, ensuring equitable rewards for those who create it and everyone involved in making sure it’s heard worldwide. The independent label model is a testament to this ethos. As is laid out in this report, independent labels play a key function within the music industry, as measured risk takers that are focused on supporting holistic artist development, from the early stages of individual careers all the way to mainstream success.
The global music ecosystem does not thrive simply based on individual recordings or songs, but requires the development of artists at multiple scales who capture the imagination of audiences and trigger benefits across the full industry, including live, publishing, merchandising, sponsorships, and more. Artist success is built on developing audiences who will not only listen to an artist’s music, but also buy a ticket to see them live, support them through purchasing merchandise, and share their work among their friends and online. This type of success emerges from the hard work of artist development, which includes supporting artists’ music, the live shows, their videos, interactions with fans in person and online, partner promotions, media partnerships, promotional items and events, and so much more.
Independent labels play an essential role in catalyzing the virtuous chain that is artist development. They are often the earliest partners for artists, taking risks on innovative new music where others will not—an approach that ultimately paves the way for music to reach new audiences and grow overall. They act as meaningful and trusted partners for artists, committing themselves to offering fair deals, based on the idea that artists and labels are mutually invested in each other, and succeed together. To this end, independent labels offer unparalleled expertise and strategic support across artists’ full careers, with passionate teams cultivating deep understanding of artists’ goals, and providing assistance across everything from live touring, to merchandising, marketing, developing sync opportunities, and more. At a time where much of the music released struggles to find eyes and ears, independent labels’ long‑term, collaborative and holistic approach to artist development stands out as an essential part of the global music ecosystem, and a valuable model from which to learn and build on.
The intent with this report is not to provide a singular solution to music’s challenges and opportunities, but to spark dialogue, contribute new perspectives, and explain why music matters—and why everyone who works across making places and systems better—can benefit from it. The insights in this report serve as a foundational stepping stone; this is how the music industry works—who is involved, how money flows, and the benefits it produces—while also exploring the wide-ranging additional benefits music offers.
This report opens ORCA’s ongoing research work. The second ORCA‑commissioned report will qualify and quantify the economic and social impact produced by independent record labels. Future reports will delve into specific issues to improve the industry and grow its impact, with a focus on areas where there is high potential for reaching a consensus among industry stakeholders, including healthcare, education, technology and workforce development.
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The music industry can support artists of all types, while maximizing the economic, social, and cultural value of everything it touches—this requires a concerted effort and collaborative approach. By providing research and objective evidence, and integrating music into broader policy discussions, ORCA‑commissioned work can contribute to amplifying music’s societal impact, nurturing a more vibrant, equitable music ecosystem, while at the same time addressing pressing global challenges, ultimately forging a more inclusive, prosperous music ecosystem that enriches lives universally.
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