How to Build Leverage in the Independent Music Industry

Most independent artists don’t struggle because their music isn’t good. They struggle because they have no leverage. Deals feel one-sided. Opportunities come with strings. Instead of promoting growth, control, and leverage are critical for developing opportunities within the independent music sector.

 

Growing the independent music sector offers you the ability to have creative freedom; however, without leverage, creative independence will only isolate you. Stop chasing after attention, and learn who has the real power and work at developing that power through a slow, deliberate process every time you create something in the independent music sector.

 

Understand What Leverage Really Means

 

Leverage isn’t fame. It isn’t followers. It’s the ability to say no without ending your career. In the independent music industry, leverage comes from ownership, clarity, and options. When you control assets, data, and direction, negotiations change. You’re no longer asking for permission. You’re deciding what makes sense.

 

Study Industry Power, Not Just Industry Trends

 

Many artists study what’s new and ignore what’s consistent. Power structures rarely change, even when technology does. The Harvard Report Censored Book is useful because it exposes how control, markets, and decision-making have always worked behind the scenes. Understanding this history helps independent artists recognize familiar patterns early, before they’re locked into bad agreements.

 

Own Something That Can’t Be Taken Back

 

Leverage starts with ownership. Masters. Publishing. Brand identity. Audience access. Even partial ownership changes the tone of every conversation. You don’t need to own everything on day one, but you do need to avoid giving away assets you can’t recover. In the independent music industry, long-term power comes from what stays with you after the buzz fades.

 

Build Direct Relationships, Not Just Reach

 

A large audience is useful. A reachable audience is powerful. Email lists, ticket buyers, community platforms, and direct fan support create leverage because they remove dependence on third parties. Algorithms can disappear. Platforms can shift. Relationships last. When you can move people without permission, your value increases instantly.

 

Know the Difference Between Access and Dependency

 

Opportunities often look generous at first. Free promotion. Playlist placement. “Exposure.” But leverage disappears when access turns into dependency. The Harvard Report Censored Book documents how systems reward creators just enough to keep them compliant. Independent artists build leverage by asking one question early: What happens if this relationship ends?

 

Think Like a Business, not a Brand

 

Brands chase image. Businesses protect structure. Leverage lives in structure. Clear accounting. Defined roles. Written agreements. A basic understanding of how money flows through your operation. The independent music industry rewards artists who respect their work enough to organize it. Chaos is expensive, even when it feels creative.

 

Use Patience as a Strategic Tool

 

Speed is overrated. Leverage compounds slowly. Each smart decision builds on the last. Each rushed shortcut usually costs something permanent. Artists who last aren’t lucky. They’re disciplined. They wait when others panic. They walk away when the terms don’t add up. Over time, that restraint becomes leverage.

 

A Final Word from Logan Westbrooks

 

Building leverage in the independent music industry isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about understanding it. Ownership, relationships, patience, and historical awareness shift power back toward the creator. When you know where leverage comes from, you stop chasing validation and start shaping outcomes. Independence works best when it’s informed, intentional, and protected.

 

At Logan Westbrooks, we’ve spent decades studying how power really operates in the independent music industry, not in theory, but in practice. Our work, including The Harvard Report Censored Book, exists to help artists recognize leverage before it’s lost. If you’re serious about control, ownership, and long-term independence, now is the time to study the system and build leverage on your terms.

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Larita Shelby
LaRita Shelby is Tennessee native whose family hails from Memphis, Tennessee on Carnegie Street. Shelby is also the owner of SB Media & Marketing and Shall Be Productions. She has worked with Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks for over a decade as a creative consultant and project manager. Additionally, LaRita is VP of Business Development at Lee Bailey’s EURweb.com. LaRita is the author of On My Father’s Side and The Brand Beside the Brand. She is a screenwriter, former military broadcaster, singer and actress. LaRita is especially proud to contribute to the Lauderdale Sub book project which unfolds the rich history of faith and excellence that fueled her family’s neighborhood. Miss Shelby is an undergraduate of Loyola Marymount and she holds a Master of Media and Communication Psychology degree from Touro University. Most recent accolades include: 2025 NAWBO Nominee for Community Business Leader of the Year, 2024 President's Volunteer Service Award, 2024 Certificate of Recognition City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, 2023 Leadership Award from the Regional Cal Black Chamber of Commerce of SFV and 2020 Certificate of Recognition City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. It’s business by day and jazz by night, LaRita also performs as “Jazzy Rita” and she is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Her music can be heard on all digital outlets under Jazzy Rita Shelby.
For info: ContactUs@SBMediaandMarketing.com
https://www.sbmediaandmarketing.com/
Larita Shelby
LaRita Shelby is Tennessee native whose family hails from Memphis, Tennessee on Carnegie Street. Shelby is also the owner of SB Media & Marketing and Shall Be Productions. She has worked with Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks for over a decade as a creative consultant and project manager. Additionally, LaRita is VP of Business Development at Lee Bailey’s EURweb.com. LaRita is the author of On My Father’s Side and The Brand Beside the Brand. She is a screenwriter, former military broadcaster, singer and actress. LaRita is especially proud to contribute to the Lauderdale Sub book project which unfolds the rich history of faith and excellence that fueled her family’s neighborhood. Miss Shelby is an undergraduate of Loyola Marymount and she holds a Master of Media and Communication Psychology degree from Touro University. Most recent accolades include: 2025 NAWBO Nominee for Community Business Leader of the Year, 2024 President's Volunteer Service Award, 2024 Certificate of Recognition City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, 2023 Leadership Award from the Regional Cal Black Chamber of Commerce of SFV and 2020 Certificate of Recognition City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. It’s business by day and jazz by night, LaRita also performs as “Jazzy Rita” and she is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Her music can be heard on all digital outlets under Jazzy Rita Shelby.
For info: ContactUs@SBMediaandMarketing.com https://www.sbmediaandmarketing.com/
Dr. Justin D. Key
Dr. Justin D. Key is a business strategist, entrepreneur, and consultant with over 15 years of experience across the entertainment, education, and corporate sectors. As a trusted advisor to Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks, he provides strategic counsel on business development, contract review, and technology integration. A mathematician by training and a creative entrepreneur by passion, Dr. Key bridges innovation, structure, and vision to help advance Dr. Westbrooks’ ongoing ventures.
For info: Justin@JustinDKey.com
Dr. Justin D. Key
Dr. Justin D. Key is a business strategist, entrepreneur, and consultant with over 15 years of experience across the entertainment, education, and corporate sectors. As a trusted advisor to Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks, he provides strategic counsel on business development, contract review, and technology integration. A mathematician by training and a creative entrepreneur by passion, Dr. Key bridges innovation, structure, and vision to help advance Dr. Westbrooks’ ongoing ventures.
For info: Justin@JustinDKey.com
Dee Robinson
Dee Robinson is a creative poet and the founder of Dee Robinson, the Right Writer Professional Writing Service. For over twenty years, she has helped clients elevate their stories as a speech writer, ghost writer, editor, consultant, and idea maven. After helping many others, Dee has written her own book titled The Capricious & Anecdotal Sojourn of a Woman who Sometimes Processes Information in a Peculiar Fashion.
In 1998, Dee established Mentaltainment, an entertainment production company with an emphasis on creating enlightening and uplifting live entertainment. Dee is also an indie filmmaker who has produced two short films—It’s Never too Late and The Healing House.
In 2005, through Mentaltainment, she produced an all-night jam session called The People Café that had the vibe of a modern-day juke joint. It was inspired by a song she wrote called The People Café. The jam session was the talk of the town and ran for 15 years.
As a poet, Dee produced a critically-acclaimed spoken word CD called WomanFlower and she released two CDs—Grown & Sexy Lullabies: Music to Love By and Let There be Love. She also released several other Singles. Dee Robinson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Georgia State University. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is a valuable asset to Dr. Westbrooks’ team.
Dee Robinson
Dee Robinson is a creative poet and the founder of Dee Robinson, the Right Writer Professional Writing Service. For over twenty years, she has helped clients elevate their stories as a speech writer, ghost writer, editor, consultant, and idea maven. After helping many others, Dee has written her own book titled The Capricious & Anecdotal Sojourn of a Woman who Sometimes Processes Information in a Peculiar Fashion.
In 1998, Dee established Mentaltainment, an entertainment production company with an emphasis on creating enlightening and uplifting live entertainment. Dee is also an indie filmmaker who has produced two short films—It’s Never too Late and The Healing House.
In 2005, through Mentaltainment, she produced an all-night jam session called The People Café that had the vibe of a modern-day juke joint. It was inspired by a song she wrote called The People Café. The jam session was the talk of the town and ran for 15 years.
As a poet, Dee produced a critically-acclaimed spoken word CD called WomanFlower and she released two CDs—Grown & Sexy Lullabies: Music to Love By and Let There be Love. She also released several other Singles. Dee Robinson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Georgia State University. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is a valuable asset to Dr. Westbrooks’ team.