Research - Mainstream or Independent

There are various ways to tell the difference between mainstream and independent artist. The most common way is from what label record company they are signed to.
But how to know if a company is indie or mainstream is through the production value of a music video.
For example: Republic Records is a good example of a mainstream label company they distribute music videos world-wide.

Mainstream Artist: Nicki Minaj

Nicki is one of the well known artists in Republic Records and is also part of  Cash Money, Young Money. Her talents has helped her become noticed by other well known artists such as Lil Wayne & Drake.

Genre
Nicki's music is a mixture of Hip hop R&B pop

Target audience 
Her target audience is set at young people mostly females or anyone who likes the genre Hip-Hop/Rap.
Her songs are usually based on her life or love experiences with guys and with a large female audience I think thats really benefical.

Merchandise
Nicki has a wide range of merch that she released for her fans and also help promote herself/music. 
some of which include:

• Pink Friday Perfume
• T-shirts
• Posters
• Pink Pill Speakers