Independent Label Market
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedIndependent Label Market is a pop-up marketplace where independent record labels sell music directly to the public and meet listeners, DJs, collectors, and artists.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Independent Label Market is an open, label-focused music marketplace founded in London by Joe Daniel and Katie Riding. Rather than operating as a conventional record shop, it brings numerous independent record companies together in a temporary public event, allowing labels to sell releases directly from stalls and giving audiences an opportunity to meet label owners, artists, and other figures from the music business. Its principal product is therefore an event-based retail and discovery experience built around independent recorded music, particularly vinyl. The first Independent Label Market took place on Berwick Street in London in May 2011. The London event subsequently became a recurring fixture, returning twice a year at Old Spitalfields Market and being held in conjunction with the London Brewers Market. This format connected record collecting with a broader social market atmosphere, while preserving direct contact between labels and their audiences. The stalls offered catalogue titles, new releases, specialist editions, and limited material that could be difficult to find through mainstream retail channels. The market expanded internationally soon after its creation. A Brooklyn edition launched in October 2011, followed by an event in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, in November 2012. Toronto joined the network in June 2013, and Glasgow followed in October 2013. These editions extended the concept beyond London while retaining its emphasis on independent labels, physical music, and personal interaction. The participating companies have included prominent independent and artist-oriented labels such as Rough Trade, Mute, XL Recordings, Domino, Fabric, 4AD, DFA Records, Angular Records, R&S, Infectious, Bella Union, and Fool's Gold. Independent Label Market has also functioned as a platform for appearances and special programming. Stalls and events have featured figures including Diplo, Gilles Peterson, Coldcut, Daniel Miller, Simon Raymonde, Erol Alkan, Tim Burgess, and Edwyn Collins. These appearances reinforce the market's position as more than a sales venue: it is a meeting point for label communities, musicians, DJs, collectors, and listeners. Vinyl is central to the market's identity. In addition to ordinary label catalogue stock, stalls have offered signed, handmade, auctioned, or otherwise limited releases. Examples reported in connection with the market include signed Portishead copies of “Chase the Tear” sold in support of Amnesty International, a Young Turks auction involving a unique Jamie xx remix of Radiohead's “Bloom,” handmade mixtapes produced for the XL stall by Richard Russell, and a rare signed pink half-speed vinyl edition of Elton John's “Are You Ready For Love.” Such material gives the events a collector-oriented dimension and encourages labels and artists to create exclusive physical products for particular editions. The London market marked its tenth anniversary with a winter event at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross on 27 November 2021. Winter editions were announced again for London and Manchester in November 2022, with the Manchester event taking place at New Century as part of Tim Burgess's Vinyl Adventures. These later events demonstrate the continuing use of the pop-up format and the market's ongoing association with vinyl collecting, DJs, independent labels, and music culture. The available reference material does not establish a separate corporate parent, public listing, permanent retail premises, or a single fixed operating headquarters beyond its London origins and recurring London presence.
History
Independent Label Market was established in London in May 2011 by Joe Daniel and Katie Riding. Its founding idea was to create a public marketplace in which independent record labels could present and sell their own releases, rather than relying solely on conventional record shops, distributors, or online retail. The event also created a social setting where listeners could speak directly with label proprietors and encounter artists and other music-industry participants. The first market took place on Berwick Street in London. The London event later returned twice annually at Old Spitalfields Market, where it was staged alongside the London Brewers Market. This pairing helped give the event a festival-like character while maintaining its specialist focus on independent recorded music. Vinyl became a particularly important part of the offer, reflecting the format's importance to collectors, DJs, specialist labels, and audiences interested in physical editions. Expansion began in the same year as the London launch. A Brooklyn edition opened in October 2011, followed by Silver Lake in Los Angeles in November 2012. Toronto joined in June 2013, and Glasgow in October 2013. The international editions carried the London concept into other music and collecting communities, providing local opportunities for labels and audiences to meet around physical releases. A wide range of well-known independent labels participated, including Rough Trade, Mute, XL Recordings, Domino, Fabric, 4AD, DFA Records, Angular Records, R&S, Infectious, Bella Union, and Fool's Gold. The participant list combined established independent companies with the broader culture of specialist and artist-led labels. The market's stalls could include standard catalogue releases as well as unusual or highly limited products. Reported examples include signed Portishead records sold for an Amnesty International fundraising effort, a one-copy Young Turks auction involving a Jamie xx remix of Radiohead's “Bloom,” handmade mixtapes prepared for the XL stall by Richard Russell, and a rare signed pink half-speed vinyl copy of Elton John's “Are You Ready For Love.” The events also attracted visible participation from artists, DJs, producers, label founders, and other music figures. Names associated with market appearances include Diplo, Gilles Peterson, Coldcut, Daniel Miller, Simon Raymonde, Erol Alkan, Tim Burgess, and Edwyn Collins. This programming strengthened the market's role as a point of contact between the record-buying public and the creative or business communities behind independent music. In 2021, Independent Label Market celebrated its tenth anniversary with a winter event at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross on 27 November. The anniversary was framed around a decade of pop-up events aimed particularly at DJs and vinyl collectors. In 2022, winter editions were announced for London on 12 November at Coal Drops Yard and Manchester on 19 November at New Century, the latter forming part of Tim Burgess's Vinyl Adventures. The available material confirms the market's continuing event activity and cultural relevance, but does not specify a permanent corporate structure, ownership arrangement, financial performance, or a current full list of cities.
- 2022
London and Manchester winter editions
[1]Winter events were announced for Coal Drops Yard in London and New Century in Manchester.
- 2021
Tenth anniversary event
[1]A winter anniversary edition took place at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross on 27 November.
- 2013
Toronto edition
[1]Toronto hosted an Independent Label Market in June.
- 2013
Glasgow edition
[1]The market expanded to Glasgow in October.
- 2012
Silver Lake edition
[1]A market was launched in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, in November.
- 2011
First London market
[1]Joe Daniel and Katie Riding launched the first Independent Label Market on Berwick Street in London in May.
- 2011
Brooklyn expansion
[1]The market expanded to Brooklyn in October, establishing an international dimension to the event format.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented, event-based marketplace for independent recorded music, positioned around direct label-to-listener sales, physical formats, vinyl collecting, discovery, and personal access to the people behind independent labels.
Recorded music · 2011
Independent label catalogue releases
The market's core merchandise consists of releases brought directly by participating independent labels. These products can include new titles and back-catalogue material across the labels' genres and imprints, giving visitors access to music through the people and companies that produced or issued it.
Physical music format · 2011
Vinyl records
Vinyl is a defining format at the market, particularly for DJs and collectors. Stalls have offered ordinary catalogue records alongside unusual pressings, signed copies, colored or specially cut editions, and other physical variants that emphasize ownership, collectability, and the tactile experience of recorded music.
Collectible music · 2011
Limited and exclusive releases
Some participating artists and labels have made special products available only through particular market editions. Reported examples include signed records, one-off auction items, handmade mixtapes, and unusual signed pressings. These releases give individual events a scarcity-based appeal and encourage direct attendance by collectors.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Tenth anniversary winter event
London
Independent Label Market celebrated ten years of pop-up events with a winter edition at Coal Drops Yard.
Outcome. The event marked the market's continued association with DJs, vinyl collectors, labels, and physical music culture.
- 2011London Independent Label Market launch
London
The inaugural Berwick Street event introduced the market's direct-to-public format, bringing independent labels together in a shared open-air retail setting.
Outcome. The event developed into a recurring London market and provided the foundation for later international editions.
Brand decisions
2011
Adoption of a recurring pop-up marketplace modelStrategyBackground
The founders created a shared venue where multiple independent labels could sell directly to the public and interact with listeners.
Action taken
The market launched in London and developed a recurring event format rather than a conventional permanent retail store.
Aftermath
The format was subsequently extended to Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Glasgow, while London editions continued at recurring venues.
2011
Emphasis on physical and collectible musicStrategyBackground
The market served audiences including DJs and vinyl collectors and used direct participation by labels as a point of differentiation.
Action taken
Participating stalls focused substantially on vinyl, signed products, limited editions, handmade items, and other special physical releases.
Aftermath
The collectible and discovery-oriented format became a recurring feature of the market's identity.
Sources2 sources
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