KOCH Records, a top US independent record label, has signed an agreement with SpiralFrog to make its catalog available for legal downloading worldwide via SpiralFrog’s advertising-supported service.

According to SpiralFrog, the agreement, “reinforces SpiralFrog’s belief that offering the broadest possible choice to its target audience, people between the ages of 13 and 34, will benefit everyone, including music lovers, participating labels, advertisers, and SpiralFrog.”

KOCH Records is the market leader among independent labels in the United States and had the largest number of Billboard charting albums among independents from 2001-2005. The KOCH roster includes artists such as Jim Jones, Xzibit, Earl Klugh, Bob James, The Wiggles and many others.

“Offering young consumers in every country an easy-to-use alternative to pirated music sites will be compelling,” said Bob Frank, President of KOCH Records. “Our dynamic deal with SpiralFrog offers our artists the opportunity to connect with music fans around the world, and opens up new revenue streams.”

“We are firm believers in the ‘long tail’ and know that the independent labels and the major labels will reap tremendous value as consumers harvest the big hits as well as songs by lesser-known artists,” said Robin Kent, CEO of SpiralFrog. “In fact, equal access to artists signed to independent labels like KOCH will get greater exposure when SpiralFrog members can discover and download them without cost.”

Additionally, Kent noted, the KOCH agreement includes a global license. “It is our intent to extend SpiralFrog throughout the world in due course,” he said.

In August, SpiralFrog announced its first major record label agreement (Universal Music Group) and its first major music publisher (EMI Music Publishing).

Initially, SpiralFrog will be available in the United States and Canada. SpiralFrog will launch in North America in December 2006.