Netlabel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A netlabel, also called online label, web label or MP3 label, distributes its music in digital audio formats (mainly MP3 or Ogg) online. Netlabels often work like traditional record labels to produce and promote music projects (such as albums or compilations). Most employ guerrilla marketing to promote their work. Few netlabels earn money for participants.
The primary difference between netlabels and record labels is that netlabels emphasize free downloads, as opposed to physical publishing (CD, vinyl or DVD). Often, the music is released under licenses that encourage sharing, such as the Creative Commons Licenses. Artists typically retain the copyright.
A new netlabel concept recently launched in the UK, Band Republic, allows users to choose from a selection of featured musicians and vote on which one they would like to be signed by the netlabel. By charging users a nominal fee to join, with enough votes they are eligible to have a single release counted in the UK Singles Chart.
[edit] History
Online music groups date back almost as far as the history of personal computers, and share close ties with the demoscene, and video games. Early music groups released music in MOD formats, typically as part of a music disk, which often included a MOD player, accompanied by visual effects and textual information.
Netlabels began to branch out from the tracker scene when the MP3 file format became popular in the late 1990's, but most are still dedicated to electronic music and related genres.
Early netlabel pioneers include the Kosmic Free Music Foundation (a.k.a. Kosmic, 1991 - 1999), Five Musicians (a.k.a. FM, 1995 - 2000), Monotonik (1996 - present), Tokyo Dawn Records (1997 - present), No Type (1998 - present).
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Internet Archive: Netlabels - The Internet Archive's collection of netlabel releases
- Free Software Magazine's article Article on Free Software Magazine about Netlabels (May 2005)
