October 11, 2005 9:30

Official study means good news for indie labels

The government want to give new music a helping hand

Photo Gallery: Franz Ferdinand

A new government investigation could spell good news for independent artists and labels.

In the light of the strides made in recent years by independent artists, music minister James Purnell has announced plans for a new survey that will look into the support that independent companies need to flourish.

Although they are the most potent source of new and underground music, independents often operate on modest budgets and can find it difficult to expand.

Announcing the survey Purnell said: “We know the symptoms, now we must find the cause. This study will, for the first time, give us real, robust data which will help inform future policies. It goes without saying – the small music businesses are vital, not only to the industry itself, but also to our culture and economy.

“Without the independent record labels and publishers – who discover much of our new and successful talent – we would be starved of great British acts such as Franz Ferdinand or Bloc Party.”

The study will canvas the opinions of small record labels, publicists and concert promoters, and its findings will be used to shape future policy, BBC News reports.

Alison Wenham, chair of the indie labels collective the Association of Independent Music (AIM) welcomed support for a “vibrant but fragile sector of the music industry”.