Where online music discovery is heading?

Widget provider RockYou inks music promotion deals with SNOCAP, Fliptrack, Pump Audio and Nettwerk Records. Here's how it works: Labels / distributors who want to promote music let RockYou use it for free (or for substantially less than the DMCA statutory rates). The "end users" can then use free music from this pool that's being promoted by the labels. But only the music from those labels.

So much for independent radio, where the music choices are made by music directors and DJs based not on economic issues, but based on what is truly the best music available.

But this is definitely the way that people will get music for free and without commercials. Maybe radio as we know it is dead, and these new distribution methods will be the only ones viable in the future?

Jia Shen, CTO and co-founder of RockYou! says in their press release:

“Artists have realized that giving users access to tracks as background music for their sites, slideshows among other widgets, only enhances the user experience, but more importantly, truly offers them an incredible outlet to be discovered and retain new fans. RockYou! currently showcases hundreds of artists music for people to sample and insert into their widget of choice.”

Just what we used to say about radio.