Indie Power Players: What Excites Them Most About the Industry

These days, it’s an exciting time to be an indie. The independent world has more options for artists than ever, and, with globalization and technological advancements, the gaps between indie labels and the majors is dwindling. Because of this, gatekeeping is also no longer the worry it once was, and indie labels are finding that they’re better equipped to quickly react to what their artists want — and what their consumers need.

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Billboard’s 2026 Indie Power Players Revealed

- Dan Rys -

To get a sense of what excites those in the indie world the most, Billboard reached out to 130 executives, the majority of whom also appear on Billboard ‘s 2026 Indie Power Players list. From cultural exchanges with the K-pop industry to utilizing social media and streaming services to connect with fans across the world, these executives say that indie music has never been bigger — or more advantageous for artists. Indie labels also note that they’re able to provide their artists with more creative control — allowing them to have a direct-to-consumer relationship and connect with their fans in their own way.

On the Billboard charts, the indie world has shown its muscle. “You don’t need a major label to own the charts, and we proved it,” said Jesús Ortiz Paz , frontman of Fuerza Regida , who achieved the highest-charting regional Mexican album in history last May when 111XPANTIA — released by Ortiz Paz’s own indie label, Street Mob Records — peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 . He added, “The majors no longer control the door. We kicked it open ourselves.”

Read below for all the responses.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/lists/what-excites-music-execs-most-about-the-indie-world/)._