In recent years, there’s been a gradual growth of independant ‘bedroom’ recording artists in the music industry, this is largely due to the fast development and the accessibility of home recording technology. This, with the help of social media and digital streaming/release platforms, anyone can record and release their own music, and even gain huge success from it– it’s become an achievable feat for anyone with the software and skills, allowing musicians to develop creative careers and fanbases outside of traditional pathways, such as record labels.
This research portfolio will examine and analyse the qualifications, personal qualities and the experience needed to enter the industry with potential for success, and the different challenges faced within those roles. I will explore the realities of sustaining a creative career, and having multiple roles/’careers’, alongside potential progression and the development opportunities within the music industry.
With this type of career, its super flexible with working with what you have, and not needing to have much, but on the other hand, you are eventually quite limited by the technology and software you have, and your level of education on it, these limitations can effect quality of work and end products. Because artists are also limited by their own knowledge and access to information, owning good equipment does not guarantee success. Even if someone has a high-quality DAW and recording equipment, they may struggle if they do not understand how to use the software effectively. It’s important for artists in this area to research as much as possible and it takes a lot of trial and error, especially without education or access.
This profession and the idea of a home recording studio is not a recent invention, existing as early as the 1970s, as high-profile or rich artists and producers started building studios in their homes, as only a smaller selection of people could afford the “wide range of quality equipment to rival that of the commercial studios” (Theberge, 1997:232) , acoustic space or acoustic treatment and high standards as that of commercial studios. Only recently, (last decade or so), home recording become a more widespread ability amongst semi-professional and amateur musicians, some of the main reasons for this, is the growth of independant pop artists, accessibility during covid times and the growth of technology and availibility of it to the masses.
Influenced by the lockdowns and affects of Covid-19, most musicians had to do something similar to make a living during those times, as travel was impossible, the world stopped, and no one knew if live gigs would ever come back and to continue working, you had to have a version of your own set-up to be able to do anything. It’s also a great conveniance to have, as producers, session musicians and top-line writers can work from home, saving travel costs and time, while allowing them to do the work in their own timeframe, fitting better into the usual manic scheduales of self-employed musicians, and is also super beneficial to those with a family, or kids, who may be able to pick up more remote jobs by working their own hours, especially like without the added stress, cost and time taken travelling.
A day in the life of someone in this profession would probably look like spending a lot of time creating, writing, composing songs and then recording them, which may include setting up mics to record instruments or creating parts using MIDI or similar technology, eg drum machine designers.. so recording the parts, then arranging, e.g if you wanted a string section or a full band, you’d have to arrange it and then “play” it into the DAW. A larger part of each day may include a lot of producing and working on tracks, mixing and perhaps mastering them too, or collaberating and communicating with people in the industry you’re working with, e.g if you had outside help with producing, working with session musicians for parts etc. Something you’d also have to pay attention to would be the marketing aspect, so thinking of clever things to create, researching what other’s are doing right now what works in the algorithm and social media, recording clips and posting them, which may even involve often recreating the same clip over and over slightly different and posting them across the relevent social media platforms, for example right now an upcoming ‘bedroom’ artist doing this is Erin LeCount, one method of marketing that is working well for her is just filming herself working on tracks, like creating the synth lines or recording backing vocals from her newest songs, this gives viewers an insight to the creative process, building on the community and fan connection — they feel more connected to the process and track, they’re more invested, and therefore invest more into the artist and song, like pre-saving new releases, following/subscribing on social medias, spotify. The continual building of this releationship is what eventually forms fans, who’ll then buy merch, show tickets and becoming a pillar for funding and earning a living.. then soon you’ll build a fandom, which can snowball into more attention, therfore more opportunities and furthering your career, but it starts with knowing the system and how to manipulate it to get the things you want from it.
A huge part of this is social media, marketing and promotion, it’s an unavoidable part of being an artist these days, its much harder and rarer to achieve ‘sucess’ (money, numbers, opportunities, fame..) without this, and it would take a lot more work to get similar results, there are a few small indie bands have managed this without any social media, which in turn, involves heavy boots-on-the-ground work and a strong work ethic in regards to this. For a ‘bedroom’ artist/producer, the main point of it is doing the work solo and usually in the comfort of your own home, studio or space. Not to say it’s a role for introverts, even though the ‘bedroom artist/producer’ model suggests working alone, many successful artists still rely on collaboration and professional relationships to progress further in the industry. This might include working with other producers, collaborating with vocalists or writers, or developing relationships with managers, booking agents and promoters. Networking allows artists to expand their opportunities and access projects that may not be available when working entirely independently.
This leads me onto the intellectual and personal challenges of this profession, because of the impacts and detriments of social media affects everyone, but especially those with a platform, who have the added pressures of performing for the world and constantly having to take into account algorithms and trends and numbers and likes– instead of being able to fully focus on the music itself. So the branding and promotional aspects themselves, can have heavy personal affect on mental health and daily struggles of artists these days, leading to burnouts, constant pressure to make content, affects of fame, isolation and lowered self-esteem. To protect your wellbeing and peace, you have to be super intentional about it. Chappell Roan is a great example, “I need to just have an identity outside of this and protect myself, for when I’m, you know, 20 years from now, and I’m not just burnt out on life,” she said in an interview on the podcast Q with Tom Parker in 2023.
There are several important financial and legal issues that affect independant artists. One of the main ones being copyright ownership, when an artist writes and records their own music, they automaticlaly hold copyright over both the composition and recording, meaning that they have full control over the music, how its performed, liscened, distributed and monetised. Most indie artists start out on streaming platforms like Soundcloud, before moving to the typical platforms like Spotify, Apple Music… some of the biggest artists started in the ‘bedroom pop’ world (Finneas, Clairo, Hozier..) before moving up in the industry, however, “The likes of Clairo and Paul Cherry still shun the studio and record from home on occasion, even after developing a fanbase numbering in the millions.” (Howie, 2024). Although, Stavropoulos, L. (2025) suggests that the reason artists like Billie gained so much fame is due to the authenticity and originality, and creativity that record labels try to supress in artists when it comes to their control over their artistic expression.
However, managing these rights can be complicated, particularly when collaborating with other musicians, producers or writers. In these situations, it is important to establish agreements (contracts, agreements made on paper as proof, not just word of mouth) regarding songwriting credits, royalty splits and publishing rights in order to avoid disputes later.. (we can use ‘The Smiths’ band as a good example of what to avoid doing). And when uploading music to streaming, it’s important to work on monetisation, because, for example, Spotify alone is not enough to make a living off of, even for some of the biggest names out there, for a multitude of reasons, it’s difficult to earn enough from just streaming. Hesmondhalgh, D. (2020) has a great article about this, going in depth on the specifics of streaming and revenue. “Is music streaming bad for musicians?” In this article, he states: “concerns change in the distribution of rewards for music: that they have become increasingly unfair, and that it is now harder for musicians to earn a decent living from recorded music than before the advent of MSS, often with the very strong implication that MSS are responsible for this.”.
It’s important for independent artists to really understand how royalties work within the music industry, royalties are payments from copyrighted music being played, this includes: streaming platforms, physical sales, live performances, and synchronisation licensing for film, television, or advertisements. Artists signed to a label, depending on their contract, have little to no control over many of these aspects, and don’t always recieve the income they should. However, there are organisations such as performing rights societies, who collect and distribute royalties to artists and songwriters. Without understanding the business side of music, checking contracts and copyright agreements, musicians may miss out on income that they’re entitled to receive. There is more awareness around owning your music and masters, particularly since 2021, when Taylor Swift infamously lost the rights to her first 6 albums (in 2019 when she left Big Machine), and protested by rerecording and rereleasing each album, dubbing it “Taylor’s Version”, — before eventually reaching an agreement to regain ownership of her masters in 2025.. This is really important as musicians are now checking their agreements more closely and with the awareness and education about it, they can then decide for themselves if that is something they deem important, as for some it may not be a priority to them to own their work, but it’s something worth considering. “asset value of intellectual property. … For many companies, producers, and publishers, rights to artistic works are as valuable an asset as real estate or patents. … recently, artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Justin Bieber have sold their entire catalogs to investment funds, raising other legal questions about inheritance, taxation, and legacy management.” (Charnet. L, 2025)
Careers in the music industry can go in almost any direction, but it’s found that many bedroom producers also expand their work into other professional roles within the music industry. For example, they might continue the persuit of their solo career as an artist, collaberate with other artists, start a career in the production side, become ghostwriters, or working as mixing or mastering engineers. There are many opportunities which allow musicians to diversify their skills (and income streams) while continuing to develop their creative careers, especially as ‘bedroom’ musicians tend to learn a wide range of skills by creating their own music fully, as they take on all roles: producer, writer, composer, instrumentalist, singer, arranger, mixer/mastering, promotion, live performances.. so after a while in this area, you become a jack-of-all-trades within music, so your career can really go in whichever direction you want, from the skills learnt through the experience. The common goal for singer/songwriters usually involves live performances. Artists who initially release music online may eventually build enough of an audience to perform live shows, tour, or appear at music festivals. These live events can become an important source of income and exposure, some notable artists who’ve done this is Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Bon Iver and Clairo.
Personal development is a key part of maintaining a sustainable career in this field, musicians continually update their technical skills, adapt to new situations and technologies, continue networking and stay informed about changes within the music industry.
In conclusion, the rise of the ‘bedroom’ recording artist reflects a major shift in how music is created, distributed and consumed within the modern music industry. Advances in affordable technology, alongside the growth of social media and streaming platforms, have made it possible for musicians to build careers without relying entirely on traditional industry structures such as record labels or commercial studios. However, this independence also requires artists to develop a wide range of skills beyond simply creating music. Independent musicians must understand many different aspects of the industry in order to sustain their careers.
Bibliography – Working In The Creative Industries – Research Portfolio (SHR4C007R~001)
Keira Browne
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