independent music

Independent music, often shortened to indie music or just indie, refers to music produced outside major commercial record labels, typically released through small labels or by artists themselves.

The term implies creative autonomy and often suggests a particular aesthetic—lo-fi production, unconventional sounds, or deliberate distance from mainstream pop.

Since the 1980s, indie has also become a genre descriptor for guitar-driven alternative rock with a DIY sensibility, regardless of the artist's actual label affiliation: I've been really into indie music lately.