Major labels can satisfy your curiousity by releasing the single to radio, but small, unaffiliated labels have only slightly better odds of getting drive-time airplay on commercial radio than, say, Tuvan throat singing. These samples are important for buyers, because Cuneiform targets the niche market of avant-garde and New Age music, not everyone's cup of tea. Other than Cuneiform and Casanova, it is hard to find a Web site of a local independent label that provides an entire song for evaluation. Dischord is planning to start its own Web site in the next few weeks, said Amy Pickering of the label. Or they can just borrow the CD off a friend.
Most local labels have yet to do much selling of music directly as digital files.
I think there will be a viable model in three to four years. She probably won't make a mint this way, but that's all right. Despite the business concerns, musicians and independent labels are motivated by more than grand profits. They produce music for intensely personal and emotional reasons. I want to use the label to help them get their music out.