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Artistdirect (stylized as ARTISTdirect) was an American online digital media entertainment company.

Founded in 1996, it owns several websites, including artistdirect.com and artistdirectinterviews.com. These websites are a group of affiliate websites offering multimedia content, music news and information, communities organized around shared music interests, music-related specialty commerce and digital music services.

Artistdirect began as an online music retailer and distribution company. It hosted the Ultimate Band List (UBL), a database with information on over 600,000 artists, concerts, record labels, and other music-related resources.^[1] In 1997, it partnered with the band Blink-182 to create Loserkids.com, an online store and community site for fans of the music and fashion of cutting-edge Alternative rock, punk, metal, and hard rock artists.^[1] It featured merchandise from various brands including Hurley, Dickies, and Ben Sherman. In the early 2000s Artistdirect combined the database of the Ultimate Band List and online store with free audio and video streams, music news, album reviews, and movie trailers.^{[citation needed]} In 2000, the company lost $11.2 million in its first quarter as a public firm.^[2]

In 2006, Artistdirect re-launched the UBL.com site to focus on independent and unsigned bands, and helping them to be “discovered”.^{[3][failed verification]} According to Media Metrix, the Artistdirect Network averages 12.4 million unique hits.^{[4][failed verification]}

In 2005 Artistdirect acquired MediaDefender, a company with a 90% share of the market for protecting against online copyright infringement.^[5]

In 2009, Artistdirect acquired MediaSentry, another company that focuses on battling online copyright infringement.^[6] The company will operate with two divisions, one for its copyright protection products, and another for its music-related web sites.^{[citation needed]}

In August 2009, the company filed a “Form 15” with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, under which it will “go dark” and cease to make public its financial information. The company shares will also cease trading on the major stock exchanges.^[7]

In March 2015, the business of Artistdirect was acquired by PSI Capital, Inc.^{[citation needed]} The company is now defunct.

In August 2002, Marc Geiger launched his own iMUSIC label as a separate entity to ARTISTdirect Records but still under the Artistdirect umbrella.^{[8][permanent dead link]} It also relied on BMG distribution and on Ted Field‘s ADR marketing and promotion staff.^{[citation needed]}

The basic idea of iMUSIC was to enter into label and distribution partnerships with long established artists (with sizable fan-bases) who no longer had major label deals.^{[citation needed]}

In 1999, they created the ARTISTdirect Online Music Awards. With 20 categories, the winners were selected by viewers via online. The first ever ceremony was held at House of Blues having performances of No Doubt, Cypress Hill and Chris Isaak among others. Madonna, Eminem, The Beatles and Ricky Martin were among the first winners.^[9] The following edition in 2000, had expanded their categories in rock, pop, urban/hip hop and electronica.^[10]

In 2026, Artistdirect entered a new phase following its acquisition and redevelopment by Josh Linsk, an entrepreneur and founder of the AI-powered audio platform Sound Stock. Under Linsk’s direction, the platform was rebuilt with an emphasis on large-scale content generation, structured music data, and search-driven architecture.

The modern version of Artistdirect has been repositioned as a comprehensive music information platform integrating editorial publishing, database systems, and AI-assisted content production. A central component of the platform is its rapidly expanding music glossary, consisting of tens of thousands of entries covering music terminology, genres, production techniques, and industry concepts. The glossary is designed to function both as an educational resource and as a primary driver of organic search visibility.

Artistdirect has also developed a large-scale library of artist biographies, written in a long-form editorial format that emphasizes historical context, stylistic development, and cultural impact. This approach contrasts with traditional database-driven music sites by prioritizing depth, narrative structure, and internal knowledge linking.

Additional platform features include setlist archives, interconnected music knowledge systems, and early-stage implementations of AI-driven lyrics analysis. These systems are designed to create a highly interconnected content network linking artists, genres, terminology, and musical concepts.

The redevelopment reflects a broader shift in Artistdirect’s role within the digital music ecosystem, moving from a legacy music retail and media site to a high-volume, search-optimized knowledge platform. The strategy positions Artistdirect to compete with established music information and media properties by leveraging scale, automation, and structured content architecture.

• List of record labels
• Peer Media Technologies

• Artistdirect.com Archived August 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine