NAPSTER/INDIE LABEL HOOK-UP SHOWS PROMISE

Aiding in the legitimacy of online music marketing and distribution, underground hip-hop label 75 Ark Entertainment announced its partnership with digital music companies Liquid Audio, Play J and ClickRadio. In the agreement, these sites will promote and market tracks from the 75 Ark roster. Play J and ClickRadio will also be involved in the sharing of advertising revenues generated when users play 75 Ark songs.

These deals come soon after the promising success of the label's alliance with Napster, which incidentally made the company the first established record label to ally itself with the renegade file-sharing community. According to the Napster deal, new music from 75 Ark artists is featured on the site each week. That placement has turned out to be a shrewd strategic alliance for the label. Recently previewed 75 Ark act Deltron 3030 generated 8,000 downloads on Napster a week before it was released and catapulted to an impressive rap chart debut. Now that act is featured as part of the Warner Music Group's new digital music initiative that will be launched Nov. 1.

In touting the Internet's empowering opportunities for artist and independent labels, 75 Ark President Erik Gilbert said, "The Internet is causing a shift in how music is promoted and consumed, and we're quite excited about it. The medium lends itself to unlimited viral marketing opportunities." Unh, isn't there a medicated cream for that?