Pinoy indie music is alive and well, and continues to strengthen its global reach.
Pinoy Online Radio (POR) recently launched the first volume of its debut release, titled “PORduction House, Volume 1.”
The collection, exclusively available in 32GB USB thumb drive, features the original compositions of upcoming artists Obet Rivera, Noel Bernaldo, Yam Pagunsan, Michael Kevin, Nonieh Riosa, Seth Mendoza, Haize, Prinsesani, Dwight Kim and Kim Tumamak, all arranged and produced by Obet Rivera for POR.
Pinoy Online Radio started out as a non-commercial internet radio service featuring an all-Filipino artist format. Founded by DJ Miles in San Jose, California, POR’s main objective is to serve as a viable media platform to play and promote original, unsigned Filipino indie musicians and performers.
Unlike other music labels that impose restrictive legal, marketing and copyright contracts, Pinoy Online Radio prides itself with its consensual and non-binding artist agreements—a mutually-beneficial relationship borne out of trust and respect.
Resident arranger/producer Obet Rivera, himself a proud POR artist, explains, “Pinoy Online Radio was established out of necessity, the mother of all invention.”
“It’s not a label because we don’t sign artists and tie them in a contract. Everything is mutual—they can leave anytime or release songs elsewhere. We are only here to help and promote indie artists who have no financial capability and knowledge on how to release songs in the digital market.”
Being an internet-based format, Pinoy Online Radio relies mainly on its backbone of online listeners, augmented by other streaming sites and affiliate channels.
Obet further elaborates, “Because POR is an internet radio service, we play our produced songs in all our programs. We do rely on Spotify streams and YouTube views, and now we have the album released independently in a 32GB USB thumb drive.”
“Listeners can hear the music in streaming sites, download from digital markets, or by the POR USB album to avail of the music.”
To date, Pinoy Online Radio’s catalog features rock, rap, RnB, pop, acoustic and alternative genres.
With the absence of restrictive contracts, POR artists retain all exclusive rights to their songs.
“Pinoy Online Radio has no claim over intellectual rights for all songs released. The copyright owner still owns all exclusive rights. However, as our sole safeguard in the digital market, CD Baby is ‘guarding’ all internet releases on behalf of POR and its artists,” Obet points out.
In an industry where most upstarts rely on their own efforts for marketing and promotion, Pinoy Online Radio serves as a welcome beacon of hope for fledgling Filipino artists with limited resources to push their music in the highly competitive digital market.
So far, the response from Pinoy musicians all across the globe has been very encouraging.
Obet adds, “In POR, all PInoys from all over the world are welcome. So far, we don’t have mixed blood yet, but we play a PInoy artist from Spain, singing in Spanish.”
All songs in “PORduction House, Volume 1” are also available on major downloading and streaming sites such as Spotify and YouTube Music.
Interested parties may contact POR or any of the artists through their respective Facebook pages for further inquiries.