Beatport may be the 800-pound gorilla of the DJ-oriented download market, but that hasn't stopped the proliferation of digital stores focused principally on electronic music. The list of specialist retailers aiming at both DJs and home listeners now includes Warp's Bleep, Word and Sound's What People Play, Kompakt's digital storefront, Juno's Juno Download, and even New York and LA's hip-hop-oriented Turntable Lab. And now, unintimidated by the current field, a new player, Zero" (or Zero Inch), is stepping into the fray.

Based in Vienna and with an office in Berlin, the startup is the latest project of several veterans better known for their work on the creative side of the industry. Georg Lauteren (DJ Glow) is also the founder of Vienna's TRUST, a label known for experimental electro from Urban Tribe, Clatterbox, and Epy. His partner, Stefan Possert, is a member of Viennese noisemakers Farmers Manual, as well as a former director of digital media at Universal Music. With an eight-person team running the enterprise, the crew realizes that size does matter: "I'd say we're more of a delicatessen shop than a supermarket," said Possert.

While its offerings overlap with those of other sites, Zero" distinguishes itself by virtue of its selective catalogue: "At the moment we have chosen, licensed, and put [online] 300 labels and 2,000 artists," says Lauteren. That's far fewer than at other sites, where browsing by artist or label is all but out of the question. Tracks are offered as DRM-free, 320kbps MP3s, purchasable either by track, or as full EPs or LPs for a slight discount. Other perks, like city profiles and label bios, give the site its own personality, while the high-resolution pop-up player mimics the experience of previewing vinyl, allowing shoppers to jump to any point in a given track at the click of a mouse. Offering powerhouse labels like Warp and BPitch Control alongside underground imprints like Redshape's Present and the deep-house upstart Oslo, Zero" has the potential to become a one-stop shop for selectors and collectors alike.