Women-Owned Indie Record Labels
Celebrating the bold impact of women-owned indie labels in music.

Women in the music industry have had to fight through plenty to get to this stage, and the fighting isn’t done yet. Over the years, one of the biggest problems women have faced is the lack of representation in leadership positions. There are only a handful of record labels owned or run by women. The overwhelming majority of music executives are men.

In this article, I’ll celebrate some record labels with women in top leadership positions. In a world dominated by men-led labels, these organizations have dared to be different.

Merge Records

In 1989, Laura Ballance and her friend decided to start a record label to push their band’s music. With time, they realized it could be more and started taking on other artists. In 2004, one of the bands, Arcade Fire, released the first album on the label to enter the Billboard Hot 200. It was the beginning of a true success story.

Their biggest moment was still produced by Arcade Fire when the band’s album, The Suburbs, won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2011. The label continues to represent independent artists and Laura Ballance is still a massive part of it.

Saddest Factory Records

Founded by one of the biggest indie music names in Phoebe Bridgers, Saddest Factory Records is less than five years old. Phoebe Bridgers has led such a successful indie career that she owes it to the next generation to run a label. She released her first album as far back as 2017 and has since established herself as an indie legend.

With four Grammys and several other awards to her name, Phoebe has already written her name in history. Now, with this record label, she can build a legacy of helping the next generation achieve their dreams.

On Repeat Records

In 2009, Victoria Hesketh announced herself to the world with her debut album, Hands. It was such a massive hit that Atlantic Records signed her. After releasing only one album as a signed artist, however, Little Boots had had enough. She decided to start a record label of her own. She called it On Repeat Records.

According to her, she wanted freedom from having her art and public image defined by other people for the sake of maximum profit. She also seeks to provide such an environment for other upcoming artists as well.

Saffron Records

When Laura Lewis-Paul founded Saffron Records, she had a clear mission in mind. She wanted it to be a safe space for female artists. Saffron Records is run only by women and represents only women as well. They didn’t stop there. Saffron Records also offers music production and other courses to young girls looking to get into music.

As an independent label, Saffron Records receives most of its financial backing from bodies that are trying to help women out. They still have to get creative with extra streams of income to supplement.

Hardly Art

When Sub Pop Records decided to create an offshoot record label, Sarah Moody stepped up to lead. Guess how she got the job. She was tipped by Meghan Jasper, who was a vice-president at Sub Pop Records then. Today, it has grown into one of the biggest indie bands around. It’s a story of women helping women, something we need to see much more of.

Father/Daughter Records

As the name implies, Jessi Frick started Father and Daughter Records alongside her father in 2010. After high school, Jessi was still nursing an art school ambition when she tour-managed a band. That experience left art school at the very back of her mind. She was in love with the music industry. She went on to get a management role at Fiddler Records before she finally ended up starting one of her own. Today, she looks for new artists and helps them find their way in a sometimes cutthroat industry.

Objects Limited

Lara Rix-Paradinas founded Objects Limited nursing a massive dilemma. How could she push women to enter an industry where men enjoyed most of the benefits? In the end, her answer was that life is a game of numbers. It might be tough now, but we need more representation, she says. She doesn’t just help women, however, she helps all categories of marginalized artists.

Whether it’s gender, sexuality, or race, Objects Limited is firmly stood against discrimination and seeks to offer everyone a platform where they can shine.

Play Me Records

Reid Speed is more than just a woman in music, she is a female DJ. If you think the world of artists is dominated by men, the story is even worse for DJs. That hasn’t stopped Reid Speed from building a kingdom. She started her career in 1997 and has stayed at the top since then.

Play Me Records was founded in 2009 and is a beacon of hope to young girls trying to become producers or DJs. She has also helped expose several upcoming acts in her genre to the bigger stages and platforms. If you’re a young, upcoming producer, that’s where you want to be.

Polyvinyl Records

It all started when a band of high school friends started a fanzine about their favorite indie artists. They eventually went from releasing issues to making music. Today, Polyvinyl Records is home to over thirty artists. The two founders were Darcie Knight and Matt Lunsford, whom she later married.

What started as two kids writing about their favorite artists has now turned into a massive project that has run for over twenty years. Alongside her husband, Darcie Knight Lunsford has helped set the pace in helping women make progress in the fight for equality.

Final Thoughts

For a long time, leadership positions have been reserved for men. Slowly but surely, however, women are making a case for themselves. The goal remains the same. Gender should not be a deciding factor when it comes to selecting a leader, or anything for that matter. That said, if women will ever break the status quo, the current crop of female leaders is the audition.

The success of women in leadership today Is proof that women can be trusted to handle authority effectively. I trust that the struggles of this generation of women will usher in a new generation with better representation and equal opportunity. May we live to see the day…