Bleep.com
Encyclopedia
Bleep is an online music store
focusing on the independent music sector. Created by Warp Records
and launched in January 2004, Bleep was one of the UK's first legal music download
businesses and the only one to originate from within the music industry. The store offers single track
or whole album
DRM
-free mp3
and WAV
downloads alongside vinyl records, CDs
, DVD
s, T-shirt
s and other merchandise.
Since its launch, the range of music offered by Bleep has grown and now provides music from independent labels including Rough Trade
, Domino, Beggars Banquet
, One Little Indian, XL Recordings
, Ninja Tune
, Stones Throw, Hyperdub
, Planet Mu
, Tempa, and many more. In addition, a large catalogue of rare titles has been acquired from many small labels from all over the world.
. The website quickly expanded its catalogue to include releases on other labels, gaining enough popularity to receive nomination for a Webby Award
in the music category on 7 May 2004 alongside iTunes
, BeatPort
, Live365
and musicplasma. In 2006, Bleep passed the million downloads threshold and in October of that year won the UK Digital Music Award for "Best Music Store".
Bleep has been DRM
-free since its inception and provides 320kbit/s mp3
s, FLAC
s, and WAV
s.
In November 2008, Bleep merged with Warpmart, which had been Warp's store for physical releases. This has resulted in Bleep being not only a download store, but a full mail order retail service.
and now running his own design studio; Universal Everything.
Online music store
An online music store is an online business which sells audio files, usually music, on a per-song and/or subscription basis. It may be differentiated from music streaming services in that the music store offers the actual music file, while streaming services offer partial or full listening without...
focusing on the independent music sector. Created by Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
and launched in January 2004, Bleep was one of the UK's first legal music download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
businesses and the only one to originate from within the music industry. The store offers single track
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
or whole album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
DRM
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
-free mp3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
and WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
downloads alongside vinyl records, CDs
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s, T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s and other merchandise.
Since its launch, the range of music offered by Bleep has grown and now provides music from independent labels including Rough Trade
Rough Trade
Rough Trade may refer to:*Rough Trade Records, a record label*Rough Trade , linked but independent London record stores*Rough Trade , a Canadian new wave rock band*Rough Trade , an episode of American Dad!...
, Domino, Beggars Banquet
Beggars Banquet
- Personnel :The Rolling Stones* Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica on "Parachute Woman"* Keith Richards – acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar on "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man", backing vocals, lead vocals on opening of "Salt of the Earth"* Brian...
, One Little Indian, XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
, Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music...
, Stones Throw, Hyperdub
Hyperdub
Hyperdub is a London-based record label, founded and run by Steve Goodman, aka Kode9.Artists who have released on Hyperdub include label owner Kode9 Hyperdub is a London-based record label, founded and run by Steve Goodman, aka Kode9.Artists who have released on Hyperdub include label owner Kode9...
, Planet Mu
Planet Mu
Planet Mu is an electronic music record label run by Mike Paradinas . It was based in Worcester until March 2007, then moved to London and has recently relocated to Broadstairs, Kent...
, Tempa, and many more. In addition, a large catalogue of rare titles has been acquired from many small labels from all over the world.
Overview
Bleep was launched initially on 14 January 2004 as a download store for releases on Warp RecordsWarp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
. The website quickly expanded its catalogue to include releases on other labels, gaining enough popularity to receive nomination for a Webby Award
Webby Awards
A Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
in the music category on 7 May 2004 alongside iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, BeatPort
Beatport
Beatport is an online music store specializing in electronic dance music and culture. Beatport is a privately held company owned and operated by Beatport LLC and based in Denver, Colorado.-History:...
, Live365
Live365
Live365 is an Internet radio network where members can create their own online radio station or listen to other Live365 broadcasters' online stations. As of October 2006, there were about 6,500 active stations, some of which play niche genres seldom heard on AM/FM radio...
and musicplasma. In 2006, Bleep passed the million downloads threshold and in October of that year won the UK Digital Music Award for "Best Music Store".
Bleep has been DRM
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
-free since its inception and provides 320kbit/s mp3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
s, FLAC
FLAC
FLAC is a codec which allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed such that file size is reduced without any information being lost...
s, and WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
s.
In November 2008, Bleep merged with Warpmart, which had been Warp's store for physical releases. This has resulted in Bleep being not only a download store, but a full mail order retail service.
Design
Both the original store and the current site were designed by Matt Pyke, originally of The Designers RepublicThe Designers Republic
The Designers Republic was a graphic design studio, founded on 14 July 1986 by Ian Anderson, and based in Sheffield, England. It was known for its anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca-Cola...
and now running his own design studio; Universal Everything.