Indie Started as a Business Description, Not a Sound
Indie means independent of major companies. It began as a description of how music was released, then became a genre label.
Indie is short for independent, describing music, film or games produced outside the major companies. It began as a strictly commercial term: an indie record was one released on a small label, regardless of how it sounded. Only in the 1980s did the word start describing a style, so that a band on a major label can now be called indie for its sound while contradicting the word's meaning. The same drift is happening in games and film.
- Independent of majors. *An indie label.*
- A musical style. *Indie rock.*
- An independent game. *An indie game.*
- Independent — the full word. *Independent cinema.*
- Major — the opposite. *A major label.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | indie | An indie. |
| Plural | indies | Two indies. |
| Adjective | indie | Indie music. |
| Full form | independent | Independent. |
| Opposite | major | A major label. |
- The record came out on an indie label.Business.
- They play indie rock.Genre.
- Indie games often come from tiny teams.Games.
Where indie applies
- Music — released on a small label
- Film — made outside the major studios
- Games — developed without a large publisher
- Publishing — small presses and self-publishing
- In each case the word began commercial and drifted into style
A shortening of *independent*, recorded in the music industry from the 1940s and widespread from the 1970s.
Can a band on a major label be indie?
By the original meaning, no. By the modern stylistic meaning, yes, which is why the word is now ambiguous.
What does indie mean in games?
Developed without a large publisher, usually by a small team funding itself.