NPR the music powerhouse? Totes, dude.

Gallery: NPR music’s growing influence: NPR has emerged as a powerhouse in a splintering music industry thanks to the growing popularity of the web site NPR Music.

By Chris Richards
WashPost,
Friday, March 18, 11:11 PM

You know you’re at an NPR-sponsored gig at South by Southwest — the annual music festival — because everyone is carrying a tote bag.

Organizers hand them out at a nightclub on Sixth Street during NPR’s Thursday afternoon SXSW concert, for which the line is stretched down the block. Inside the canvas sacks: a T-shirt, a CD, a beer koozie.

But the fans didn’t come for the swag. They came to see their favorite new bands — bands that swarm SXSW every year with big dreams. One day, with any luck, these groups will be smiling for magazine covers, singing on late-night television shows and . . . hearing their music streaming on NPR’s Web site?

Forget the totes — NPR has a brand new bag. The Washington-based news outlet has emerged as an influential powerhouse in a splintering music industry thanks to the growing popularity of NPR Music, a Web site that has connected with music fans by premiering new albums, streaming live concerts and landing exclusive interviews.

(More here.)