Secretly Group

Secretly Group is an American independent label group founded in 1996 in Bloomington, Indiana, by Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman, Ben Swanson, and Jonathan Cargill. It encompasses Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, and Numero Group. The group is distributed by Secretly Distribution, its in-house distribution arm. Secretly Group is home to Bon Iver, Angel Olsen, Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast, Mitski, Khruangbin, Anohni, The War on Drugs, and many others, with offices across the US and Europe.

Secretly Group grew from modest roots in Bloomington, Indiana, into a thriving, dynamic label group. Each constituent label maintains its own curatorial identity: Secretly Canadian (indie rock and folk), Jagjaguwar (indie rock and experimental), Dead Oceans (bold and timeless recordings across genres), and Numero Group (reissues and archival). The group's shared services model allows its constituent labels to maintain distinct curatorial identities while sharing backroom services, distribution, and infrastructure. In 2025, Secretly Group acquired a stake in Merge Records, bringing another respected indie label into its orbit.

How Secretly Group Operates

Secretly Group runs A&R across its constituent labels from offices across the US and Europe. Each label maintains its own curatorial identity while sharing backroom services, distribution, and infrastructure through the group. Secretly Distribution, the group's in-house distribution arm, handles global physical and digital distribution for the group's labels and for other independent labels (including Sacred Bones, Colemine, and others). The group's strength is its shared services model, which gives its constituent labels the infrastructure of a larger organization while preserving their independent curation.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you make indie rock, indie folk, art pop, experimental, or soul music, Secretly Group is one of the most respected independent label groups in the world. Its roster of critically acclaimed and commercially successful artists (Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast, Mitski, Khruangbin) shows it can develop artists who achieve both critical and commercial success. Its multi-label structure means artists can be signed to the label that best fits their curatorial identity.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

• Highly selective: Secretly Group signs very few artists each year across its labels.
• No unsolicited demos: Secretly Group does not accept cold submissions.
• Indie aesthetic: The group has a distinct indie rock, folk, and art pop aesthetic. Music outside that aesthetic will not fit.
• Group structure: Secretly Group's multi-label structure means deal structures may involve the group rather than just an individual label.

Notable Artists and Releases

Videos

Deal Structures

Secretly Group operates a shared services model across its constituent labels, each with distinct deal structures:

• Artist-friendly recording deals: Secretly Group labels typically offer more favorable terms than major labels, including higher royalty rates and more artist control. Deals are negotiated at the individual label level (Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans) rather than centrally.
• Profit-sharing models: Some deals within the group include profit-sharing arrangements that split net profits between label and artist after recoupment, rather than standard royalty structures.
• Licensing deals: For established artists with existing recordings, the group offers licensing arrangements where the artist retains master ownership and the label handles distribution and marketing for a defined period.
• Numero Group licensing: Numero Group operates separately on a licensing model for reissue and archival material, licensing specific catalog rather than signing artists to recording contracts.
• Distribution through Secretly Distribution: The group's in-house distribution arm handles global physical and digital distribution for both group labels and third-party independent labels.

How Artists Get Signed

Secretly Group's signing process is curatorial and relationship-driven:

1. A&R per label: Each constituent label (Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans) runs its own A&R with its own curatorial identity. Artists are signed to the label that best fits their sound, not to the group as a whole.
2. Referrals and existing relationships: The majority of signings come through referrals from managers, publishers, existing artists on the roster, and trusted industry contacts.
3. No unsolicited demos: Secretly Group does not accept cold demo submissions across any of its labels.
4. Build an independent profile first: Artists who have released music independently, built a touring base, and generated press coverage or streaming traction are more likely to attract attention. The group signs artists who have already demonstrated viability on their own.
5. Multi-label assessment: If an artist is being considered, the group's A&R team may discuss which label is the best fit. An indie rock artist might fit Jagjaguwar, while an art pop artist might fit Dead Oceans.

Similar Labels

• Merge Records - Secretly Group acquired 50% stake in 2025; respected indie label
• Matador Records - Independent label group with similar indie rock roster
• Sub Pop - Historic independent label with artist-friendly terms
• Domino Recording Company - UK-based independent label with similar aesthetic

Related Resources

• Record Label Contracts Explained - What a Secretly Group deal contains
• Independent Labels vs Major Labels - The label group model
• How to Get a Record Deal in 2026 - Building an indie profile
• Dead Oceans - A Secretly Group label
• Secretly Group Official Site - Labels and roster