DJs Fresh and Euphonik have joined forces to take the South African music industry to the next level.

Though entertainers are largely complaining about the negative effects technology is having on their sales, Fresh and Euphonik have decided to embrace tech and use it to their advantage. The house music duo launch their F.eU Radio station this year.

The online radio station will stream house music 24 hours a day, and people will be able to access the station from their Internet-enabled cellphones.

Euphonik explains: "People want to listen to our music all the time and they are always finding illegal ways to get it. This station gives people the access they want and it enables us, the artists, to make money from our work."

Online stream radio stations first appeared 10 years ago when major record labels like Warner Brothers and Universal tried to use them as a way to deter people from illegally downloading music from sites like Napster. Stations like Last.fm and Pandora would let people listen to music via their cellphones and computers.

The sites collect fees and advertising revenue which they share with the record labels.

The record labels hoped that this would boost album sales as listeners discovered new music.

However, it has not worked out that way. Research has shown that online sites are being used by a growing number of listeners but that this doesn't necessarily translate to music sales.

Euphonik remains unfazed by this: "The digital movement has made the industry more exciting. Technology has made the world a smaller place and the music is far more accessible than it was 10 years ago.

"Tapes and CDs are no longer needed. The music industry has adapted to new technology, it has now become much bigger and much better."

The Internet has in large part not been kind to the music industry. It has opened up many avenues for music lovers to obtain music without paying for it. As a result, having a No1 hit often does not translate into record sales. Musicians are finding that they now have to think laterally about how they entice listeners to their music.

The F.eU online radio station will come with an iPhone application, enabling iPhone users to get the F.eU website on their phones. The website will include the profiles and biographies of both Fresh and Euphonik, and keep fans up to date on where the duo will be playing.

Both DJs have been highly successful in their respective careers and last year they were invited to the prestigious Miami Music Conference. They have found that by teaming up they can strengthen their brands as well as create a new and exciting movement in South African music.

Euphonik explains: "It's a mutually beneficial relationship. We both have the same vision and we both have cross-over markets. Fresh caters to an older market and I cater to the younger market and we bring the two together when we work together."

Albums remain the most profitable and common medium for recorded music sales. Both Fresh and Euphonik seem to have found a way to survive the album sales depression and go platinum.

Perhaps it is because they have embraced the digital era that their sales have not suffered. "Artists must realise that they can use the new technology to make money. They can sell ringtones, downloads and add space on their sites," says Euphonik. "With the F.eU compilation coming out in March we are going to completely revolutionise the game."