TOP 6 INDIE MUSIC JOURNALISM OUTLETS

It’s a great feeling to be the person your friends turn to when they’re looking for new music. Unfortunately, since algorithms drive most digital streaming platforms (DSPs), it can be hard to discover great contemporary artists that haven’t already blown up. Hate to break it to you, but artists that show up on your Discover Weekly are already a big deal! That’s where indie music blogs come to the rescue. There’s no better way to stay on the cutting edge of music than with indie music journalism.

Music journalism is one of the most important forms of music discovery today. Indie publications have accumulated huge followings despite not being in the limelight like Rollingstone, The Fader, and Pitchfork. Indie publications provide immense value by sharing fresh perspectives and highlighting up-and-coming artists, not just industry plants and artists that have already blown up. Here’s our breakdown of independent music journalism outlets you should be following.

EARLY RISING

The content on a blog is just as important as the brand's aesthetic, and Early Rising is doing a fantastic job with both. Many of their writers are A&Rs or managers who work in the industry and know what they're talking about from a music journalism standpoint. Early Rising also curates a weekly playlist that is one of the most talked-about independent outlets. Often, when Early Rising covers an artist, they experience a momentous leap forward in their career. In addition, Early Rising has an original design aesthetic that stands out. Check them out for yourself EarlyRising.co

FASHIONABLY EARLY

The Fashionably Early staff is tapped into the music of tomorrow. Fash’s team has many of the most notable young A&Rs in the music industry writing for them, and they’ve curated a unique platform that sticks out from the rest. Fashionably Early encourages artist submissions and provides thoughtful feedback to those that take the time to send them music to be reviewed. In addition, their discord server is constantly active with everything from new music discoveries to prop bets, making them one of the most relatable and accessible music journalism outlets in the industry. For more, visit FashionablyEarly.com.

Ones to Watch

While Live Nation may own them, Ones to Watch manages to stay connected to the indie music scene. Ones to Watch, a premier music journalism outlet, has been responsible for early coverage of artists such as Omar Apollo Dominic Fike, providing in-depth coverage on many superstars well before they blew up. With a visually eye-catching aesthetic to match, Ones to Watch stands out in the music journalism landscape. To check them out, visit OnesToWatch.com.

DAILY CHIEFERS

Daily Chiefers has been covering the underground music scene for years. They’re known for discovering rappers years before they become household names. The music journalism outlet has a wide variety of content ranging from artist-centric think pieces to curated interviews with artists, producers, directors, and more. They’ve also been known to handle themselves quite well on social media, engaging in a more personal way than many outlets. In addition, daily Chiefers is premiering a bi-weekly playlist update on Turntable Live. For more, be sure to visit DailyChiefers.com or tt.live for more info.

NO BELLS

Newer to the music journalism scene, No Bells launched in 2021 and has already featured some of the most entertaining content on the internet. Their interview with the anonymous admin behind Hyperpop Daily is still talked about online. No Bells cover various genres and recently launched a discord server to develop their community further. You can read more at NoBells.blog.

HYPERPOP DAILY

There’s perhaps no other “music journalism” outlet that’s more polarizing in 2022 than Hyperpop Daily. While at first glance it seems like nothing more than a fruitless trolling Instagram account, the person or team behind HPD has taken their time to curate well-thought-out fantasy lore behind some of underground rap's favorite artists. They are just as likely to offer up their takes on communism as they are to post a new Yeat single. Unfortunately, HPD covers very little from hyperpop artists, further confusing those who want to understand what hyperpop is. The best place to keep tapped in with HPD is through their Instagram. You may want to be sitting down for this.