Righteous Babe Records is an independent record label created by progressive folksinger Ani DiFranco in 1990 to release her own songs in lieu of being beholden to a mainstream record company. The label was originally called "Righteous Records", and the original pressings of her debut album have it listed as such. However, Difranco then discovered a pre-existing gospel music label with that name, and to differentiate herself, added the "babe". Located in DiFranco's hometown of Buffalo, New York, Righteous Babe expanded in the late 1990s to put out albums by and give support to emerging non-mainstream artists, including avant-garde Tropicalia musician Arto Lindsay.
In 2001, the abandoned Asbury Delaware United Methodist Church was scheduled to be demolished; instead, Difranco purchased the building, restored it, and converted it into an entertainment venue. The Church, with its 1,200-seat concert hall, is now the current home of the label.
