Abstract:
The digital era has brought about a flood of new music platforms since the 2000s. Many artists
now have an opportunity to record and place their music on these platforms with little or no
assistance from major record labels or publishers. Because of more affordable digital recording
tools, independent (indie) artists from all parts of the world have creative freedom to create
new music. Accordingly, thousands of songs (in audio or video format) are being uploaded
online daily for public consumption. Even non-professionals or people who do music for fun
or as a hobby, have found a new ground because they can afford recording equipment and an
Internet subscription. Despite the overwhelming quantity of uploaded music, a very small
amount of it receives great attention. Other supporting industries such as video production,
information technology, marketing and artist management have a significant role to play in the
development of the music industry. Focusing on the Vhembe music scene, this study explores
this phenomenon using a descriptive-qualitative research methodology. Interviews were
conducted with independent artists, independent record label owners, music producers,
independent music publishers and consumers in the region to discover why majority of local
music is not found online and furthermore, to establish what can be done to get more artists to
use these platforms. Participation in the study was voluntary with no monetary compensation
involved. The study aims to contribute to the development of the local music scene.
