INS is a music conference series that deals with all the many aspects of running a band professionally, independently, successfully, and ethically. The panels give people the chance to meet decision-makers who run the music industry, ask them down-to-earth questions, and receive straightforward answers. Each session seeks to explicate a different aspect of the music industry, such as how the A&R process works, how to find (or become) a band manager, how to get online and print publicity, and how to find legal representation.

DIY seminars tend to promise a lot but in actuality deliver vague ideas of how a working band can navigate the complexities of an ever-changing music industry. What sets INS apart is that each session delivers current information from relevant, high-caliber music industry players. Recent panelists include the managers of Interpol, stellastarr*, Blonde Redhead, VHS or Beta, and The Cloud Room; A&R representatives from Atlantic Records, Kill Rock Stars, French Kiss Records, TVT Records, and Warner Brothers Records; journalists from Time Out NYC, Entertainment Weekly, Gothamist, Oh My Rockness, The Simple Mission, and UltraGrrl.

Tom Sean, member of the NYC band The Black Spoons http://www.theblackspoons.com), is the host of each session of INS. Upset with the dearth of matter-of-fact information available to independent bands, The Black Spoons took matters into their own hands and started Indie Night School as a vehicle to help themselves and their peers in the summer of 2005.