Projekt Records

Sam Rosenthal is a strong supporter of MP3 and digital downloads. While Rosenthal has ensured that digital files of his artists are available for legitimate download, in the early days of MP3s he went so far as to praise downloads even when not accessed legitimately.[1] Editorials on the Projekt Web site (dating back to January 2001) countered the assumption that all labels oppose all unofficial MP3 downloads. While Rosenthal did not condone downloading entire albums without paying, his view is that those exposed to music, by whatever route, will ultimately purchase albums and support the artists they enjoy.[2] In the ensuing years, his views have changed and now he speaks out against the rampant illegal downloading of albums.[3]

After the January 20, 2012, takedown of Megaupload, Rosenthal stated "[This] is a small victory for creative artists. An early step toward reasserting our rights to control our creative work and to deny criminals from exploiting our art for their profit. You see, all those millions and millions of illegal files (music, films. porn, books) are not up there because of an utopian belief in open-source access to art. This isn't about paradise. This is about a new way to screw the artist."[4] He went on to speak out about how artists can get their files taken down, and in support of the DoJ shut-down of sites hosting illegal music.[5]

He has since started People For The Ethical Treatment of Musicians (PETm) with the website http://www.petm.us/

Rosenthal was interviewed August 8, 2016 for an NPR piece[6] about the DMCA. "It's a really unreasonable expectation," he says, "that I would have the time to chase (illegal downloads) all day when I should be running a business and making music."

Projekt Records also presents Projektfest, a semi-annual festival of gothic and ethereal music, featuring primarily (but not exclusively) Projekt artists. In 1996, Projektfest ran for two days in Chicago. In 1997, Chicago was again host to two days of Projektfest and a few weeks later another day of performances were hosted in Mexico City. In 1998, Projektfest was a series of four one-day events in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City. The 2002 Projektfest was held over three days in Philadelphia, at the Trocadero and other sites. Projekt hosted Projektfest '07 as part of the Blacksun Festival in New Haven, Connecticut, in August.[7] Projektfest'10 was held July 30 & 31, 2010.[8] Projektfest '11 was held November 12, 2011, at The Middle East (nightclub) in Cambridge, MA, featuring the artists Voltaire, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, and Weep.[9]

• List of record labels

• Official site
• Projekt MySpace page