However, due to cost and price constraints there are only a limited number of OPM albums and songs that are physically available to overseas Filipinos at any given time.

"Filipinos are known to be music lovers, just give them a microphone and they will belt out their favorite songs. That’s why in every party, having to have a karaoke or videoke machine is as staple as food and drinks", shares Bambi Fonacier, a certified music lover and collector, a well known music industry personality- being a star DJ in the 70’s, founder of the biggest music retail store in the country (Odyssey) and creator of the digital music entertainment system and listening station called TMV (Touch Music Video).

With all of Fonacier’s background and years of experience in the music industry and with his growing realization that the current trend is gearing towards the "non-phyisical" digital music formats like the MP3, he developed an online OPM library called Pinoytunes.net

Pinoytunes.net is a member-based downloading service and online music store that offers a comprehensive catalogue of hard-to-find and classic Original Pinoy Music (OPM) hits from the 60’s , 70’s, 80’ and 90’s, regional music in various Filipino dialects and of course, current releases from Manila-based record companies. This will be an attractive and exciting way to reach overseas Filipinos longing for OPM.

Pinoytunes.net has more than 3,000 songs currently in its database ready for downloading anytime 24/7 anywhere in the world. It is fast cultivating its catalogue of top OPM hits and classics spanning all genre of music from established, popular and new artists from major Philippine labels, Manila-based international labels and independent labels. Weekly updates of its music library are also being done to give consumers fresh and varied Pinoy music choices.

When asked why OPM? Fonacier, happily answered, "the fact that there are more than 12 million overseas Filipinos, and over 4 million of them are residing in the Unites States, there is a huge potential for pinoytunes.net and high patronage of the website is very likely."

"Our initial and major target market for Pinoytunes.net is the US-based Pinoys especially in California where the biggest Filipino population averaging 1 out of 5 Filipinos choose to live. Since around 70% of the US population is connected to the internet, it is safe to assume that there are about 3 million US- based Filipinos who have access to the internet. Translated to sales this means a multimillion dollar business opportunity not only for our company but also for the Filipino music industry as a whole," Fonacier stresses.

"This is huge market for "OPM" just waiting to be tapped and with no direct competitor to speak of. The opportunity is there to develop and take advantage of. The potential that this market presents is big," Fonacier added.

Fonacier relates that even the artists themselves are excited about the online library where their music-- even the ones no longer being physically reproduced -- will be heard worldwide and still earn royalties everytime it is purchased and downloaded. "We basically have some of the biggest labels and artists in the industry to have their songs or music become part of our online library" he proudly states.

"Pinoytunes membership fee and per song cost are extremely affordable. They are just a fraction of what you’d pay for music on other digital music stores, Pinoy music or otherwise. Check out the website to see for yourself", Fonacier hastens to mention.

The Pinoytunes.net website, recently launched on the internet in time for the Philippine Trade Exposition held this August 18 and 19 in Meadowlands, New Jersey (USA), currently stands alone as the only digital music store that is focused on one thing - serving the needs of the "classic and hard-to-find pinoy music fans" and the record labels that have a huge back catalogue of this culturally-rich and nostalgia-eliciting music. Global Filipinos of all generation will have a chance to rediscover their music roots aside from discovering new Pinoy music.

Most other digital music stores only promote today’s major hits and neglect the thousands of great classic popular music of the past years. Pinoytunes gives the Pinoys from all over the world a chance to hear a diverse catalogue of songs from established artists of "yesteryears" and today and emerging artists in every genre.

Pinoytunes delivers music in the universally compatible MP3 format the most popular and versatile digital file format. The use of the DRM (digital rights management) technology by Pinoytunes protects the record labels, artists and consumers by ensuring that all downloaded songs are licensed, can be played an unlimited number of times and can be copied 5 times to computers, portable MP3 players including the iPod.