In a refreshing departure from the mainstream downloadable music sites, Breakdown takes a looks at a fantastic independent label that is doing things better than the majors. Warp Records, a brand virtually synonymous with the leading edge of electronic music, recently launched Bleep, their own in-house online record store, and in doing so set an example for other small labels to emulate. Home to many of the most important names in the genre, including Autechre, Squarepusher, Boards of Canada, and Plaid, the download site not only stocks all of Warp's current releases, but also carries digital versions of long out of print singles and EPs. Read on to see how Bleep stacks up against the rest.
Sound Quality: Moving against the popular tide, Bleep takes a definitative stand and is releasing each downloadable track as high-quality, variable-bit-rate MP3. Almost equal to a CD in sound quality already, the label is even considering using lossless compression schemes such as Flak or potentially selling encodings of the original 24-bit masters. Even without going to that extreme, Bleep is setting the bar higher than the competition. Score: 8
Fair Use Rights: The downloadable MP3s have exactly the same rights as an MP3 one would rip directly from a CD. You can copy them to your other computers, burn them to audio CDs, burn them to MP3 CDs, copy them to portable players, etc. They are, of course, still governed by standard copyright laws, and thus can not be legally shared with other people. However, only the most cutting edge labels are experimenting with common licenses, and one can not expect Warp to be able to retroactively convince their artists to take a more progressive stance. Score: 8
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Shopping and purchasing requires only a modern web browser, including Netscape, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, or Opera. The downloaded music files are in industry standard, unencumbered MP3 format, which will play in just about any computer or portable device on the market. Score: 9
Usability: Both Warp's main website and the Bleep store suffer from an overzealous and slightly too hip aesthetic sensibility. While pretty too look at, the interface suffers from the design. Though ultimately functional, the experience feels a bit under par for a retail store. One feature that sets the store apart, however, is the brilliant graphical waveform display of song. This waveform doubles as a control for previewing up to 30 seconds at a time in streaming MP3. Score: 7
Price: Songs on Bleep run about $1.35 a track, $4.29 for a 4-song EP, or $9.99 for a full LP. Cheaper than vinyl and CD recordings of imports or rare back catalog cuts, these prices still run high for a digital medium. The store accepts major credit cards, PayPal, and, in Europe, text SMS. Score: 6
Independent Selection: Due to the nature of this store, it isn't exactly fair to rate the independent selection based on the lack of availability of music released on other labels. That said, everything carried at Bleep is independent and respectable, and the only thing that could be done to improve the selection would be to combine efforts with other labels. Score: 5
Overall Score: Thanks to Bleep, even neophytes to the electronic music scene could fully immerse themselves in the best offerings available, in high quality sound and generous and fair usage rights. Bleep should be one of the first places people turn -- not just for their electronic music fix, but also to see downloadable audio done right by a small independent label. Score: 7
Read the EMusic Review.
Read the Audio Lunchbox Review.
Read the Wal-Mart Online Music Store Review.
Read the Napster 2.0 Review.
Read the Apple iTunes Music Store Review.
Read the Breakdown guidelines for this review.