DiS began as an email
fanzine in 1998 called
The Last Resort, but was relaunched by founder and editor Sean Adams as
Drowned in Sound in 2000. It was mostly based on contributions from unpaid writers and has an integrated
forum to allow for discussion and comments on interviews, news, and reviews. The website also included a user-rated database of artists and bands as well as details for most live music venues in the UK. In 2005,
Drowned in Sound launched a
podcast called
Drowned in Sound Radio. The site also launched a label, Drowned in Sound Recordings, in 2004; which released albums for a few bands, including
Brett Anderson,
Emily Haines,
Jeniferever,
Martha Wainwright,
Metric,
Redjetson,
the Stills,
ThisGirl, and
Youthmovies. In November 2007,
Drowned in Sound teamed up with ad-supported download site RCRDLBL.com to launch an audio and video blog, entitled "Drownload". Since 2008,
Drowned in Sound was involved with the
Summer Sundae festival, and in 2010, it kicked off their 10th anniversary celebrations with a line-up headlined by
the Futureheads and
Frightened Rabbit. Previously, they hosted the Friday night billing of the Rising Stage as being presented in partnership with
Drowned in Sound.
Shutdown and relaunch In April 2019,
Pitchfork reported the closure of the site following a
Facebook post by Adams. While the editorial content of the site stopped, the community forums remained active. In March 2023, Adams launched a podcast under the site name. It later extended to a newsletter, record label, and a full new website with editorial content. ==Ownership==