Masterbeat represents the latest, greatest evolution in the dance music industry and digital download sales. At last, the average consumer will have access to a virtual shopping mall of genre-spanning dance and electronica music: House, Disco, Trance, Freestyle, Pop Remixes and more. By finally placing this music in the grasp of fans – and control of its release firmly in the hands of record labels – Masterbeat will unlock enormous potential to reinvigorate and revitalize the dance music industry in America.

"We're in the middle of another format change," says Brett Henrichsen, Founder and President of Masterbeat. "We have to reinvent ourselves or die."  With music sales migrating from physical delivery (CD) to digital (online), the dance industry requires the brand-name cache of a single, unifying online music retailer. Henrichsen harnessed years of experience as a revered club DJ and record label founder – plus years of frustration in trying to find his favorite tunes – to create the concept of Masterbeat.

First, he compiled the world's deepest DJ crate - an online catalogue of dance music's breaking hits, classic tracks, underground gems and fierce remixes – finally available for purchase to the average fan. For the January Beta launch, Masterbeat has already teamed with the most important labels in dance music: Ultra, Nervous, Strictly Rhythm, Tommy Boy and more.

Second, he defined the future of digital sales and download technology, including an innovative, self-administrative system ("Control") that allows record labels unprecedented authority over the marketing, distribution, and sale of their music to consumers.

"Dance music has a limited shelf life," says Henrichsen. "When a club-goer hears a song they love, they want to go home that night and buy it. But if they can't find it immediately, they'll download it illegally." Existing online music retailers (iTunes, etc.) rarely make dance songs purchasable until long after their period of peak popularity, an approach that has disenchanted dance fans and damaged the industry's sales, growth and esteem in America.

Masterbeat provides immediate access to legal dance music downloads by allowing record labels to manage their own online catalogues: uploading new music releases, providing artwork and full-track music samples, conducting email marketing, and tracking sales statistics through a simple and effective back-end interface. This self-administrative method significantly reduces distribution lead-time, allowing labels to provide commercial sales while songs are still receiving critical promotional play.

Finally, Masterbeat unlocks the dance genre's enormous growth potential. According to RIAA statistics, dance music represents 5% of US Genre Market Share. This modest estimation contrasts with the global appeal of dance music, arguably the most popular international genre. Unavailability and a niche reputation have previously constrained the dance industry's stateside success, but the brand-name recognition of Masterbeat (a Nielsen Soundscan reporting outlet) "has huge potential to bring dance music above ground… while retaining its underground cool," says Henrichsen. In addition, the entire music catalogue will be searchable via popular online search engines (Google, Yahoo!, etc.) bringing the genre closer than ever to an interested mainstream audience.

Beginning with the January Beta launch, March main launch, and a 2008 World Tour that will bring participating DJs and high-profile promotion to the international club circuit, Masterbeat is poised to redefine the concept of online music sales, the exposure of dance music, and the relationship between dedicated clubbers and the music they love. "I have always had a passion for dance music," says Henrichsen. "The genre is becoming more and more popular, and this [Masterbeat] is the way to give consumers the music they want when they want it."