The association and its local consultant, SWAT Enterprises, act as representatives for a growing number of independent British musicians whose material often lies outside the mainstream of Chinese pop.

'With the advent of the digital economy just around the corner we are very excited that British music will find a willing and hungry audience in the burgeoning Chinese market,' said association chairperson Alison Wenham.

For foreign independent music, which comes a distant second to local artists in the hearts of mainland audiences, finding a vehicle for exposure in China is a victory. Radio is barely listened to, while television is limited to state-run CCTV and a handful of channels operated by local governments.

Vivek Couto, executive director of consulting firm Media Partners Asia, said: 'Opportunities to use television to promote foreign artists are limited. MTV Mandarin is legally only distributed in Guangdong on a 24-hour basis, while elsewhere it is syndicated through hotels and programme blocks on CCTV.'

The Sina deal will give acts such as The Prodigy, Stereophonics and Basement Jaxx a leg up on the competition in getting seen and heard among Sina's 180 million registered users.

In the initial phase, the streams will be limited to samples because of pending legislation in China regarding pricing and payment for digital music, but the full-length, full-service streaming is expected in coming months.

'Sina's video streaming services, including TV programming, news clips and full-feature films recently achieved a landmark of 1million unique users a day - an indication that it is the ideal platform to promote overseas brands and artists,' Mr Couto said.

With traditional media tied up by established superstars, the internet has become the medium of choice for artists trying to market themselves in China. That works well for independent musicians, whose demographic is generally more targeted and on the fringe.

Michelle Yang, director at Burson-Marsteller in Shanghai, said: 'For young people it's all MP3 and the internet, and pirated CDs of course. But it's popular not only because it's free - it's a lifestyle already. People live with [the] internet. They exchange and recommend music over the Net. They talk to friends over the Net.'

Crucially for both Sina and the musicians the deal has been done openly and legitimately as opposed to dubious deals announced by other music portals.

In February, Top100.cn launched its music download service claiming legitimacy, only for it to be found that much of its offering was unlicensed.

Sonja Chen, managing director of independent artist management and record label Oriental Sky in Shanghai, said: 'Sina is doing a great thing for the industry. There is a large audience there interested in indie music ... so to get the music online will speed uptake of local and foreign indie music.'

Taking the legitimate path could end up being a smart financial move for Sina. As well as avoiding possible costly lawsuits, it could also breathe new life into its mobile value-added services business, which saw revenue fall 31 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year.