# Netlabel

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{{Short description|Type of record label}}
{{About|the general type of internet music distribution|the Internet Archive's music service|Netlabels}}
{{Refimprove|date=February 2017}}
A '''netlabel''' (also '''online label''', '''web label''', '''digi label''', '''MP3 label''' or '''download label''') is a [record label](/source/record_label) that distributes its music through [digital audio](/source/digital_audio) [formats](/source/file_format) (such as [MP3](/source/MP3), [Ogg Vorbis](/source/Vorbis),  [FLAC](/source/FLAC), or [WAV](/source/WAV)) over the [Internet](/source/Internet). While similar to traditional record labels in many respects, netlabels typically emphasize free distribution online, often under licenses that encourage works to be shared (e.g., [Creative Commons](/source/Creative_Commons) licenses), and artists often retain [copyright](/source/copyright).<ref>{{cite web|author=Adam Hyde |url=http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/netlabels |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814083254/http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/netlabels |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-08-14 |title=net.labels |date=2011-08-14 |access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref>

Netlabels may have a considerably lower staff count than traditional record labels, in some instances being only a single individual in control of their music, maintaining sole ownership.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c3.hu/~bram/Netlabels_and_Open_Content.pdf|title=Netlabels and Open Content|last=Timmers|first=Bram|date=July 2005|page=12}}</ref> Physical [LP](/source/LP_album)s, for example, are rarely produced by a netlabel, relying entirely on [digital distribution](/source/digital_distribution) and means of the [Internet](/source/Internet) to provide the product. Having no physical product makes the running costs of a netlabel considerably less than a traditional record label and some netlabels have abandoned any financial model altogether and instead, running the netlabel as a [hobby](/source/hobby).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c3.hu/~bram/Netlabels_and_Open_Content.pdf|title=Netlabels and Open Content|last=Timmers|first=Bram|date=July 2005|pages=8–9}}</ref> Some employ [guerrilla marketing](/source/guerrilla_marketing) to promote their work.{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}

==History==
Online music groups date back almost as far as the history of personal computers, and share close ties with [video game](/source/video_game)s and the [demoscene](/source/demoscene). Early music groups released music in [MOD](/source/Module_file) formats, typically as part of a [music disk](/source/music_disk), which often included a MOD player, visual effects, and textual information.

Netlabels began to branch out from the [tracker](/source/tracker_(music_software)) scene when the lossy [MP3](/source/MP3) file format became popular in the late 1990s. Some are still dedicated to [electronic music](/source/electronic_music) and related genres, though this is rapidly changing and the quality of downloads are getting higher with the use of [FLAC](/source/FLAC) downloads offering CD quality music. {{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}

Most of the original netlabels have now ceased operations. Only a few of the originators of the movements are still currently active, and releasing in the same format, like Eerik Inpuj Sound, Upitup Records, 50/50innertainment Records, Kahvi Collective, Bedroom Research, Acroplane and Phonocake.

==See also==
* [Demoscene](/source/Demoscene)
* [FLAC](/source/FLAC)
* [Freetekno](/source/Freetekno)
* [List of music software](/source/List_of_music_software)
* [Low bit](/source/Low_bit)
* [MP3 blog](/source/MP3_blog)
* [Netlabels in Japan](/source/Netlabels_in_Japan)
* [Open Content](/source/Open_Content)
* [Riddim](/source/Riddim)
* [Street art](/source/Street_art)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
<!-- Additional links here are not meant for direct links to Netlabels themselves or your favorite blog. To find netlabels, discuss them, and download music use the general information, review, and link sites listed below. -->
* [http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Netlabel How to Start a Netlabel] Wikihow article
* [http://www.soundshiva.net/ Soundshiva.net] Opensource catalogue of netlabels and releases
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121020141804/http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3770/3278 Netlabels and democratization of the recording industry] Academic article on netlabels
* [http://www.clongclongmoo.org/labels clongclongmoo Netlabel List] overview of active and archived labels
* [http://starfrosch.com/hot-100/archive_org Netlabel #hot100 Charts] 
* [http://netlabels.org Netlabels.org]  Resource for netlabel and netaudio culture with screenshots, reviews and releases
* [http://netlabelarchive.org NetlabelArchive.org]  A archive site that hosts inactive netlabels
* [http://www.quantum-bit.it Limited edition release 2007/2017] quantum-bit.it

{{Independent production}}

Category:Record labels
Category:Music industry
Category:Open content
Category:Netlabels

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Netlabel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netlabel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netlabel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.