After years sitting on the sidelines, search giant Google yesterday unveiled their much anticipated music service - Google Music. Armed with their own social networking service Google + and the Android marketplace (where they will offer millions of tracks for purchase) Google Music aims to go head to head with major music services currently on the market.

One exciting aspect of Google Music is the Artist Hub - which (similar to iTunes Ping) will give artist and bands the possibility to create their own artist page  though with one major difference - here artists will be able to and sell their music directly to fans via the Android Marketplace.

With the service being launched just yesterday it is early days but rest assured we have plans to be to distribute your music to Google Music in the near future.

As you may have heard Europe’s favorite streaming service Spotify has now opened its doors to listeners in the United States. As a resident of the US you can choose between two subscriptions models “Premium” and “Unlimited” – Spotify Free accounts are currently invite only.

This launch in the US is creates nothing but opportunity, both for those of you who already have your music on Spotify - but also also for us here at Record Union.

More people tuning in to discover and share music on Spotify mean more potential listeners within a few clicks of yours! As you know, Spotify is a great promotional tool and with more people tuning in there is even bigger potential to reach out to new listeners and boost your plays.

This is also exciting new for us here at Record Union. If the launch of in Europe was anything to go by, there will be a storm of new artists and labels wanting to get their music in the Spotify catalog. As one of the recommended routes for indie artists and labels onto Spotify we at Record Union are gearing ourselves up to receive them with open arms.

Being there from the beginning we have seen many examples of the way in which Spotify has helped independent artists reach out to new audiences in ways never thought possible – with the launch of Spotify in the United States we are looking forward to seeing this continue.

Artist Mellony is a new rising star here at Record Union. The latest Spotify stats show that his music has been played over 3,000,000 times on Spotify. Yes, that is 3 MILLION times. We are sure you will agree that this is a massive achievement - especially for a young indie artist like himself. With his monthly plays still growing steadily, and a new single being released soon, we are excited to see where this is going.

What can we say about Mellony? Well, his name is Joakim Bergström and he is a Swedish artist releasing music on Record Union via his own label Mellony Music. He first found interest in his music on Youtube - but it was a tour with 100% party combined with a greater availability of his music on other digital channels that saw things really take off.

We took this opportunity to ask Mellony some questions about his journey to where he is now. We post his answers here for your reading.

What were your expectations when you first uploaded your music at Record Union?

None. I noticed a lot of people used Spotify and wanted people to be able to find my music there! It’s a really good service for both musicians and consumers. I found Record Union and they helped me.

And now, how does it feel to get 3 millions plays on Spotify?

Trying not to be a stick in the mud, it’s actually 3 million plays in february! Being June and all, it could be a lot more plays now! Sticking to the subject, it feels super great!

You clearly have a lot of fans – how did this come about?

It all started out with me uploading my songs to youtube, got a modest sum of plays, then I went on a Sweden tour with “100% Party”. That’s what got me started, though I had no idea I would be up in that many fans just by uploading my music to Record Union.  Feels pretty awesome actually! : )

Is there anything else you would like to say?

Record Union got me in the music business, and I am forever grateful for that!

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Thanks Mellony! We wish you the very best in the future and promise to make sure your music continues to become available on all the great digital music services out there.

DJ Count Effectz has been moving Sydney dancefloors with his eclectic dance/house productions since early 2008. Since then he has been releasing via labels in the US, the Netherlands and most recently founded his own Record Label Effectz Recordings. Spawned from backroom clubs his high powered sound provides a kaleidoscope journey through different (and sometimes quite bizarre) progressive sequences. This is a DJ exploring a range of different sounds, yet there is definitely a distinct style and approach to his music which many will find appealing. We caught up the the Count wanting to know more about his music.

If your music was a painting, what would it depict?
Picture a thousand different colours thrown at one canvas, no one can describe how good it is.

What have you tried to accomplish with your sound?
Something new, tasteful and most of all ‘EAR PLEASING’.

Who would you most like to headline a show with?
Definitely Afrojack or Deadmau5

What is the next step for you?
Aiming for my first tour and from what I have been producing, it is now time to show people my sound live in action.

Read more about Count Effectz and check out his many remixes on his blog. Otherwise, you can find his music on most online stores and services, including Spotify.

This outfit of Swedish Hip-Hopper´s are a mysterious bunch. Jumping around on stage wearing balaclavas and orange jumpsuits they don’t strike you as your average musicians. They are, well, something else altogether.  Intrigued, we caught up with VERKstaden and threw a few questions their way with the hope of finding out a little more more about them - here is how it turned out:

If your music was a painting, what would it depict?
- A dark alley filled with famous superhero villains drinking milk, everyone is wearing black clothes except for one, he is wearing purple clothes and he is drinking orange juice.

What makes you stand out from the crowd?
First of all we stand on the stage, and by doing that, we don’t stand with the crowd, we stand out from it… Secondly, we are completely anonymous and no one knows really how many members VERKstaden has.

Who would you most like to headline a show with?
- Vanilla Ice… I just feel bad for him and if we headline a show with him,… at least he gets booked…

What is the next step for you?
-    To send you this. For more information visit our blog.

Click here to listen to VERKstaden on Spotify.

That’s right folks! You can now sign up for this years Peoples Music Awards. Last year proved to be bigger and better than ever, with thousands of artist participating in what is becoming an established competition within independent music.

The Peoples Music Awards are the worlds first and only unsigned music awards, and as an artist or band, the benefits are clear . Entering awards gives you an excellent platform to reach out to new fans around the world, with music hungry listeners flocking to the TPMA website to give their verdict on the artists who have entered. You will also receive valuable feedback on the songs you have submitted from an influential panel of industry experts. This combination of a jury panel and the peoples vote is what makes this competition unique.

For more information about the awards and enter into this years competition, head over to The Peoples Music Awards website.

Manon Dave is an artist (producer/composer) on Record Union as well as a member of our A&R network. With the success of his releases so far he is currently in the process of producing an EP and album which will consists of his own instrumentals and feature vocals from various artists.

Some major names have already contributed to the album, including Pras (The Fugees), PJ Morton (India Arie, Musiq, Soulchild), A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) with more big names to follow. Manon sees a great opportunity to include one or more Record Union artists in this release as a way to demonstrate how the Internet can bring together established names and upcoming independent artists to appear on one great album.

If any of you would like to be involved in this project please to respond to this post with links to music, otherwise drop Manon an email here: manondave(at)gmail.com).

Incredible news! Homegrown DIY success Nomy has now climbed to number 10 on the Spotify world toplist, making his album “Song or Suicide“ one of the most played albums on Spotify right now. And all of this for an unsigned artist who creates his music from his home recording Studio in Jönköping, Sweden. This is not just a success for Nomy, but for all of us who believe in what the the internet and digital music has to offer. For if anything demonstrates the hopes and possibilities of the digital music “revolution”, this surely does.

Nomy is history in the making, and Record Union are proud to be able to be a part of it.  We would like to congratulate Nomy on his phenomenal achievement, and hope that it will inspire more grass roots artists to spring forth and conquer!

“When you reach a certain point with your music which you never could imagine, Its hard to find words to say anything at all. I am overwhelmed. My Listeners and I have proven once and for all that we dont just want to be fed by major record labels. This is the payback for over 15 years of hard work. Its my biggest confirmation” - Nomy

Getting signed to a serious record label is the aim of many musicians, and for good reason. Labels can offer unparalleled support, resources and experience in producing and releasing music. Many also have established media contacts and have a deal of promotional clout which can help you increase your listener base and music sales. They will also take care of many of the time consuming day to day management of you or your band, and let you get on with what you do best - creating music.

Now, Record Labels don´t do all of this just for the fun of it. Rather, they do it as an investment. Record Labels are a business, and just like all businesses they make risk calculations. To make yourself attractive to Record Labels they must see you are an attractive investment; that once they invest money in you they will at least get it back.

It is undeniable that the onset of the digital music revolution has created amazing new possibilities for independents, both when it comes to distribution and promotion. However, it is also an environment which has made it harder for many Record Labels to sell music. The traditional marketing machinery has lost traction, and the diffuse Internet music environment has made the access and consumption of music far more diversified. Even with money to throw around, the chance and scale of success has become smaller. Once the traditional music industry adapts, or we see the rise of more influential and innovative digilabels, they will have a hard time making the same kind of money as they once did.

In this climate of uncertainty, risk calculations become all the more prevalent. So, to get signed you must make yourself as attractive as possible. Raw talent won´t hack it anymore, not by itself. They don’t have the time, resources or money to nurture you from infancy. If you are looking to get signed, the Internet is a great place to develop your art and show the labels you got what they want.

A decent track record of digital sales is a strong plus factor, and nothing illustrates an active and engaged fan base like having thousands of plays on streaming services. Focusing on improving the scale and force of your live performances, selling merchandise and playing festivals are also plus factors when looking to gain label interest. The bottom line is that a Record Label is a business. A good business makes money. In an uncertain environment risk becomes more prevalent. So if you want a Record Deal, a wise thing would be touse the great possibilities in the online environment to make yourself into an irresistible investment.

Drum roll, please! Record Union are proud to present our very first video. It is intended to introduce new people to the service, and communicate what Record Union are all about. We would like to thank Jeremy Irons & The Ratgang Malibus for letting us use their music for the video. Enjoy!