“The Infinite Dial: Radio’s Digital Platforms (Arbitron and Edison Media Research), says the monthly audience age 12+ for Internet radio now tops an estimated 52 million, which is up from about 37 million people in 2005. The weekly Internet radio audience also increased by 50 percent over the past year, with 12 percent of the U.S. population age 12+ having listened to Internet radio in the past week.� (FMQB)

Anyone who has surfed MySpace lately can tell you with some level of certainty that nearly everyone on the planet is actively online. Young people especially have embraced technology to the point of dependence. Labels have recognized this activity to a degree and put a little more effort into their new media departments, however what they’re investing is nowhere near what they invest in off-line marketing. Indie labels have taken note of how affordable and effective new media is and have thrown the majority of their money in online marketing and it has proven successful with their ‘hype bands’ being snatched up by majors at a startling pace.