Megaupload Files May Be Getting Deleted: What Does That Mean For Independent Artists?
January 31st, 2012 by Daniel Clauser | No Comments »
The Feds announced today that as of Thursday the coffers of file sharing giant, Megaupload, may be razed due to copyright infringement laws. Today those files were given a stay of execution for another 2 weeks. Over 50 million files may be deleted in what is turning out to be one of the largest, if not the largest internet-seizures in history.
While it is true that many of the files hosted on the file sharing domain are copyright material, another function of Megaupload is providing a high traffic source for small and independent artists to host their content for free.
It is said that Megaupload creates up to 8% of the traffic on the internet. A source that big is a huge resource for the struggling and emerging artist to showcase his work. So where can those unsigned find free hosting and sharing for their work in this soon-to-be post Megaupload world? Both Mediafire and Limelinx provide similar services to Megaupload including bookmarking features and is available to all sorts of media.
Below are a few other sites that provide similar services, but with an added social twist:
www.soundcloud.com: Soundcloud is a site that encourages small artists to upload, collaborate and create together.
http://www.datpiff.com: Known as one of the premiere locations for hip-hop mixtapes, Datpiff makes itself available for anyone who wishes to distribute and expose their music for a nominal fee on the internet.