CONVENTIONS OF INDIE MUSIC VIDEOS

LIVE PERFORMANCE

It's very common for indie artists, especially indie rock, to have live performances within their music videos. This is to create a "star image" to promote the artists using their faces  to sell their music. This video of "Amsterdam" by Nothing But Thieves includes a live performance in-between a narrative.

NARRATIVE

Although narratives are quite common with most genres, it is usually an important aspect towards indie videos. The narrative of indie videos are often included in-between the performance. This video is only narrative and it tells a story of two people through the use of barbie dolls instead of real people. This puts a twist on most videos that include narrative and makes it more memorable and unique.

MISE-EN-SCENE

Throughout most indie videos, the mise-en-scene tends plays a vital role. It is used to give a "retro" look and vibe. During the music video for "Robbers" by The 1975, this is done through the sets that are used, their own appearance (especially outfits), props, and the color palette.

SOUND

Diagetic sound is used quite a lot in indie videos. This can add to the narrative of a video, or can be a part of a performance as videos sometimes include the sound of an audience singing along.
For example, the music video for "Piece by Piece" by The Hunna starts off with diagetic sound of the crowd screaming.