In 1995, Aware Records signed two bands to independent record deals and became the first online music store — making our mark on the digital world as it formed in real time. At this point, we also had a strong network of dozens of college representatives around the country who sold compilations and full-length albums from artists whose tracks appeared on compilations. 

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A couple of years later, Aware entered a flagship joint-venture with Columbia Records to support full-length album releases from Aware-founded artists such as John Mayer, Train, Five for Fighting, Mat Kearney, and Guster. During that time, we supported various high profile releases including Train’s self-titled debut album (certified platinum sales), Five for Fighting’s America Town (certified gold sales) , and John Mayer’s Room for Squares (certified platinum sales).