We've gotten word that downloadpunk.com has officially gone live. The new site, which sells legal music downloads from labels such as Epitaph, Nitro, Lookout, Trustkill, SideOneDummy, Ferret, Fearless, Fiddler, The Militia Group, Doghouse, Triple Crown, Artemis, Jade Tree, Volcom and Hopeless/Sub City Records. In fact, we're told that today, Lookout has added its catalog as well. I sent a couple of short questions to the downloadpunk.com folks to get an idea of what the site is about, how it works, how they're different from the alternative, and, most importantly why you should care.
What is the philosophy of the site?
We realized that one of the most important things to us is having good relationships and creating a sense of community among the independent labels. Indies always cater more towards the fan and offer a very diverse array of music. By working together we offer fans a customized website that lets them find the music they want as well as explore new artists and labels.
Why are you different from iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody or even the indie sites like Audio Lunchbox?
By being specialized, we offer a place where you can find out about new or rare stuff in the genres you want. We also hope to carry music fans might not easily find on other sites, including unsigned artists, or labels that have not chosen to carry their music on the other sites. We also keep in mind that our responsibility is to our partners, and to you, the fans.
What motivated you to do this?
We saw what everyone else was doing and figured there was a better niche way to do it. Other independent stores and online outlets have had success in offering harder to find music and items in the physical product business and we wanted to meet that need in the digital download arena. We knew the audience was there they just needed an outlet.
What do you have planned for the next year?
We are always coming up with new ways to bring interesting news, promotions, exclusive tracks, pre-released specials, and many other features for the fans. We have showcases already booked for SXSW and CMJ, and are working with all the bands and labels to come up with the best promotions for everybody. There may also be a tour in the works for next year.. We're always open to any suggestions from the fans, so let us know what you think.