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So while the birth of MP3 culture and online music trading is
sometimes thought to be damaging the music industry as a
whole,
the existence and growing popularity of netlabels shows that
a new ethic in music distribution is emerging in tandem with
the advances in technology available.

The question arises,
though: does the fact that music will be released with little
or no chance of monetary gain drive away
musicians who might wish to make their living on their art?

“Not so far, though I’ve only been doing it for
8 months or so,” said Adrian of Sydney, Australia’s
4-4-2 Music. “But I don’t imagine the well will dry
up too quickly when you take into consideration the fact that
the
globe is opened up to connect with. I have noticed that it’s
electronic-based producers who seem more willing to release music
for free though, probably due to low production costs while maintaining
high production standards.”

While it is true that the bulk
of the music offered through netlabels is from electronic musicians,
the bedroom producer nature of
the genre has allowed a wide range of experimental music to
be offered to a vast audience. The ready availability of this
music
to anyone with an Internet connection gives curious listeners
the chance to explore music they may have never heard otherwise.

This new revolution in music distribution has
offered us a world in which all you need to have your sound heard
by a global audience
is a website and hosting service. Now those with the ambition
to run a record label – but not necessarily the means – have
an avenue to promote music and artists that they believe in.
As a result, netlabels have become a launch pad for many musicians
whose work may have otherwise gone unnoticed.