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About This Site

early and late incarnationsOddio Overplay is predominantly a catalog of neat-o websites that offer legal and free sharing of music. It began in 1994 as the music division of the now defunct Boxy (top image). In the years since, it has lived in various locations with various faces, the last of which is shown here (bottom image).

The primary purpose of this site is to connect artists and audiences. Artists who want the world to hear their music offer it online for free. This music is completely legal for a listener to download and enjoy. Oddio also refers visitors to music archives, such as the United States Library of Congress, Opsound, free netlabels and the Internet Archive, that are using the Internet to allow the public to access their sound resources.

The Internet has made file sharing easy, especially with fast connections. Friends on opposite sides of the world can exchange electronic data quickly. Musicians caught on right away that this would be an effective and inexpensive means of getting the music out to new ears. Demo cassettes have gone the way of the flexi-disk. Why burn a stack of CDs for the few when you can put your sounds online and reach potentially millions of people? The majority of the artists cited here are not signed to major labels, and can benefit from the exposure.

Performers and public archives have their own rules about how they would like their music used. Some would prefer that you listen to the track and not share it. Others are cool with sharing. Still others are cool with you remixing the song. Most sites inform you of their preferences.

The ideal website considered for Oddio Overplay's SITES collections consists of the following:

1.  Tracks must be offered by artist, label or by other legal means
2.  No pop-up ads, especially Trojan style viral pop-ups
3.  More than 5 tracks available [sites with fewer are posted in the group]
4.  Tracks have direct links, are not hidden in applets or embeds
5.  Not a mainstream radio release
6.  No membership required to access tracks
7.  At least one member of the review team likes the submission
8.  Tracks are all on same page or same section of site
9.  Tracks are mp3 or ogg format
10. Full length tracks, not samples
Oddio is a play on the word audio, but it is not meant to imply that the music is odd. It is just not likely to be heard on popular radio. Oddio Overplay exists to bring new sounds to your ears - artists from overseas, artists from underground scenes, artists working from their home studios. The underdog is champion here. Too much great music remains in obscurity.

oddio is girl owned and operatedOddioOverplay.com is girl owned and operated. My name is Katya, and when I started this project, I lived in New York City. I now live in desert out West in the United States of America. I grew up fascinated by sound - pressing an ear to machines, concentrating on whistling grass and creaking trees. The math of music theory is enchanting. I was fortunate enough to constantly travel as a child, thereby being exposed to different music and sound. My love of music and appreciation for those who make and share it are the driving forces for this humble little site. It is my hope that it will bring you happiness and bring the artists exposure and appreciation. Please enjoy your visit.


About the Site  |  How to Access Music  |  Press  |  Featured Sites Archive  |  Join In  |  Sitemap