Indies show midas touch as UK-signed acts bid for gold. (News).

More emerging artists are broken to mainstream sales success by independent companies than any single major label in the UK, according to analysis of sales patterns.

Since 1998, the independent sector has consistently beaten the performance of any one major label in scoring at least gold-certified albums (100,000 shipped copies) for new UK-signed artists. In the past six years, 37 new acts have reached the level via an independent, including Badly Drawn Boy, Craig David, Elbow and Lostprophets.

But the single most successful company in breaking new talent is EMI Recorded Music, which took 31 new UK-signed artists to at least gold status in the same period. Universal (formerly PolyGram), took 20 new acts past the 100,000 sales mark in six years, Warner Music scored 12, BMG managed 11 and Sony Music clocked up nine such successes.

"The data does show that good music doesn't need to be signed to a major in order to achieve success," says Aim CEO Alison Wenham.

One independent company contributing to the independent sector's success is XL Recordings, which has consistently broken UK-signed acts past gold status. These include Basement Jaxx (1999), Badly Drawn Boy (2000), The Avalanches (2001) and The White Stripes (2002). "We're providing a home for innovative, uncompromising artists and helping them achieve commercial success without ...