MP3 got another boost Thursday when the independent record label Rykodisc began offering its music on the GoodNoise site using the controversial compression technology.
Rykodisc said some 175 songs from dozens of artists -- including Frank Zappa, Bruce Cockburn, and Richard Thompson -- were now available at a cost of 99 cents per track, and "more tracks will be released in the coming months."
Rykodisc may not have been overstating the case by much when it asserted that the move "marks a significant milestone in the evolution of music commerce."
The company, founded in 1983, said that it is the largest label to endorse the MP3 format, which is opposed by recording-industry powers who see it as an invitation for music piracy.
The Recording Industry Association of America has launched the Secure Digital Music Initiative, seeking an alternative means to distribute music over the Internet that includes rock-solid copyright protection.
Rykodisc said its decision to sell with the format represented a simple recognition of reality: MP3 is here, it's being used, and to ignore it would only lead to more music pirating.
"Rykodisc is answering the strong consumer demand for music in the MP3 format," Lars Murray, the company's director of new media, said in a statement. "We want to give the MP3 customer a legitimate alternative to unauthorized distribution, which is already pervasive on the Internet."
Financial terms of the deal with GoodNoise (GDNO) were not released.
