In a return to an older singles-oriented sensibility, the record industry is seeking new ways to develop talent without making risky investments or signing lengthy contracts. While some labels do deals with independents to "incubate" an artist who shows great promise by releasing their first album, the English imprint Play Louder Recordings, a well-funded indie affiliated with the seminal Beggars Banquet family of labels, is taking it's roots as an online company to heart. Instead of signing deals with new bands that are just establishing themselves, Playlouder are doing digital singles as a lowcost, low risk way of testing the waters with fans.

Next up for Playlouder's digital singles series, which has already included London hipstersDead Disco are New York's Holy Hail who are generating intense buzz among the music cognoscenti in both the US and Europe thanks to a series of live shows alongside the likes of EMERGE-approved bands like Love Is All, The Long Blondes, Walter Meego, and an upcoming set of dates with dance rock pioneers The Rapture. Their debut single, to be released digitally via Playlouder has also gotten rave reviews from that bastion of indie cred, Pitchforkmedia.

It's a bit too early to tell whether this digital single strategy will be an accurate bellwether of future success for the participating bands or Playlouder, but it points up not only the increasing influence the digital singles market has on the record industry at large as well as the innovative ways record labels are adapting to the changing topography of the music industry.

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