Selling Albums Online

By Waldo Jaquith
DMB has been selling their albums digitally, through their website, as Windows Media files for some weeks now. For $10, any of their studio albums can be downloaded in this DRMed format, or at full CD quality for $13, one dollar less than getting the CD itself. Unlike most bands, however, their digital audio is available only through their website, and not through services like Apple's iTunes Music Store. This unusual step is the equivalent of not selling their CDs in stores, but only through their website -- somewhat more profitable, but perhaps a little commercially anti-social. The band and their management has historically preferred to do things their own way, business-wise, but it looks like they may be folding on this one. Industry newsletter Digital Music News reports that DMB intends to start selling their albums through on-line music services, but that they are, unusually, not considering iTunes Music Store. This is presumably because Apple requires the sale of each track individually, which conflicts with the band's belief that each album is a work unto itself, and not to be broken up. (Take that, mix tapes.) This leaves just considerably less-popular services like Napster, Sony's Connect, and BuyMusic. Reportedly, sales through one of these services will begin in the next few weeks. Our thanks to BC for the tip.