The second point is that De Backer decided to go with a big label, Republic Universal, instead of an indie label.

FORBES: Startup Lessons from Gotye: Don't Become Somebody That You Used To Know

Subsequently picked up by an indie label for 2005's Easy Beat, the group won raves for its fascinating combination of psychedelic pop hooks and Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies.

NPR: Dr. Dog: Classic Rock and Pop Made Simple

With time, the band's bombastic nature and unconventional electro-pop music caught the eye of indie label Cantora Records, with whom it released the first MGMT EP, Time To Pretend.

NPR: MGMT On World Cafe

That's one reason why the indie record label that released Baauer's song, Mad Decent, gives fans free rein to use its releases in their YouTube videos.

WSJ: Why the Harlem Shake Matters

Liturgy, whose members live in Brooklyn, records for the respected indie-rock label Thrill Jockey, which made its name in the mid-nineties releasing avant-garde but civilized rock.

NEWYORKER: The Dark Arts

Her previous album, Let It Die, helped solidify her as a darling of the indie-rock scene, but her major label debut is an album that both the critics and the broader public seem to love.

NPR: The Way You Look at Feist, So She Appears to You

Frenchkiss Records, a New York City label that has released albums by such indie acts as Bloc Party and Passion Pit, signed a deal with the Orchard in 2004 amid major uncertainty in the music industry.

WSJ: Early Digital Bet Now a Sweet Song for New York-Based the Orchard

Although he might have had more control, and had his principles challenged less, if he went with an indie, he bargained that he would further the music more with a major label.

FORBES: Startup Lessons from Gotye: Don't Become Somebody That You Used To Know