IODA to give indie labels online distribution

Even as the major record labels have done just about everything they can--with the RIAA acting as their tough guy--to fight the digital distribution of free music, they haven't had the best of luck.

But now the Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA) has come along with a plan to help smaller, independent labels get some of their bands some needed recognition and take advantage of the power of the Internet. IODA has developed a platform, known as Promonet, which aims to kill off the existing promotional model used by small labels, namely that of sending out huge numbers of CDs by mail for fans, radio stations and others to listen to.

Instead, Promonet is all digital. It is built around the notion that digital music is easy to spread around, as well as easy to track.

Thus, the service will allow indie labels to identify a small number of songs from each band and make them available online, free of charge, for distribution by bloggers, podcasters and others.

The idea is that by making music available in such a way, the people who have the most direct influence over online audiences-- the bloggers, etc.--can help the labels spread the word about songs and bands the labels are most interested in promoting.

Further, said Tim Mitchell, IODA vice president of business and product development, the platform provides automatic tracking of the digital music files so that the labels can have a good sense of who has the files and what's being done with them. That means, he said, that the labels will have an unprecedented and cheap way of finding out how many people are listening to the songs, as well as an increased likelihood of knowing who the listeners are.

The upshot is that once again, the smaller, nimbler record companies are going to be doing the innovative work, while the biggies look more and more out of touch.