In myths and legends music could incapacitate men or put them to sleep, or even turn them to stone, or it could raise people from the dead. Legend has it that Tansen, the poet singer of Akbar the Great of India, could perform miracles by his songs like bringing rain (Megh Malhar) or raise fire (Deepak Raga). Music has various effects. It can put a baby to sleep or soothe the frayed nerves of a patient. It can make one sway one’s head and feet or make him clap and jump. It can make a person famous and the record labels rich.

Music has arisen independently in all cultures. The value of rhythm has been felt in all climes, by the camp fire and within the royal hall. Accomplished singers and performers are held in reverence and are respected as national treasures – as much today as in days gone by. It is no surprise, therefore, to see the charm of music undiminished.

As with other products, with music too, the introduction of online music has opened a new chapter and a new domain in the world of music. The record companies have opened their online shops, and so have many third-party vendors who at times offer more attractive deals. This has capacitated online merchandising of musical products. At a time when music volume sales were going down, the invention of novel forms of music transmission like the mp3, spelled both ruination and renaissance for the record companies. While upstarts like Napster and later peer-to-peer file sharing programs exploited the grey moral and legal zone of music distribution, the popularity of selective file downloads demonstrated to the record labels the sensible option of online vending of single songs on revenue-sharing basis.

Under this new model, instead of having to buy a whole album for one song, clients could buy songs of their choice. This brought the record labels from their financial blues. Apart from that the internet came up as a platform for numerous groups and bands intent on sharing their talents. Dozens of new music creation and sharing programs came up, while distribution of mp3 songs goes unabated in the absence of a strict moral and legal code. This section of the webdirectory is representative of the tectonic changes in the world of music, bringing to you an assortment of links to various musical resources.

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