Indie is short for independent. Popularly used as a short term for "indie rock", although this is meant to be inaccurate.

Some people are unaware that indie rock is just rock music whose artists are on an independent (or indie) record label.

Indie is not a genre of music. It can be hip hop on an independent record label. The latter is a record label which operates without funding by major record labels.

There are also indie films, indie art, etc., which are films/art/etc which are independent from commercial, mainstream establishments (just like indie music).

1. A term used to describe a band/artist/etc. who does not belong to a big name record label, or no label at all. Though all these shitheads who put definitions here years ago all talk about a relation between "Emo" and "Shit rock music" they are wrong. Indie is not only rock. For every genre of music there is, there is an underground ('Indie', for people who can't keep up) scene behind it. Indie could also refer to the indie culture around it. As much as people want to swear up and down against labeling and the such, it just is what it is. There *is* an indie culture in lingo, interests, CLOTHES, etc. Many people like to spot an "Indie Kid" as anyone in their teens to mid twenties:
-wearing faded skinny jeans
-scruffy hair
-a cardigan, military jacket, pea coat, etc.
-wearing boots all the time
-walk around with an ironic expression on their face
-drink. And then drink some more.

Those are just some of the things a "typical" indie kid would wear or do.

Additional Information; Hipsters are the ones who are somewhat hard to tell apart. Hipsters may look and dress like an Indie Kid, but are somehow different. They may even listen to the same music as Indie Kids, but apparently they are still different.
Hipsters are normally the ones who are just about as indie as Indie Kids except for perhaps one thing (which takes away their indie title): Listening to mainstream.
That's it. Listening to the occasional mainstream.

Indie is a word that has a slightly different meaning for every person on the planet. Here is my definition, Indie is simply being oneself, however only people that are "independent" enough from the norm are recognized as Indie. You do not have to like obscure bands to be Indie, you can like a bit of everything and still be Indie, even pop music, Indie isn't even solely defined by what music you like anyway. It's one aspect, but the clothes you wear, the language you use, your personality. Still, only a few people can be Indie, and you can't learn it, your just born with it. Within Indie, people are still not completely independent of each other, take Pendulum for example, alot of people like them, alot of indie people do too. Indie people share interests and do not all like completely different things, here is what I believe the formula for Indie is, 20-15% pop culture, 80-85% personality/personal taste. It's similar to Ribena, pop culture is Ribena, personality is water, without the pop culture(Ribena) , you and Indie(water and Ribena) will taste nothing alike, Even Indie people need some common ground, or being Indie would be boring, and without the water(personality) your just generic old pop culture, you have nothing to offer the Indie community. But then again, that's just how I define Indie.

Indie means independent right? so it means pretty much any band that releases an album or song independantly without using major record companies. so a rocker could release an album by himself and its Indie. A rapper could then theoretically release an album by himself and he'd technically also be indie. A techno song could be Indie. so could pop, grunge, metal, jazz, etc etc. as long as its released independently.

So why the FUCK do people keep calling it a genre?

The Real Nicole Zamalin

listen, "indie" is not a genre of music. It means independent music - think like the bohemian lifestyle. There is no such thing as indie music versus rap music or whatever the fuck you want to compare it to. It represents an era, not one certain type of music. get is right.

a label that people just don't understand that fucking concept of.
"indies" tend to dress in plaid flannels, wear thick rimmed glasses, any "vintage" band tees, bandanas, ray bans, converse, etc etc.
although they strive to stand out & not follow trends, they usually turn out to look just like every other "indie kid" out there, much like emos, scenes, etc..
individual doesn't mean go out there and dress in vintage clothes, it means to do what YOU want do. not to do what OTHERS don't do. most people who claim to be indies try way too hard to not be like others. long story short, a true individual is open to things and doesn't try to be anything, just do or dress whatever way they want.