They Might Be Giants is perhaps the first music group to open their own full fledged download site. Instead of relying solely on iTunes, AOL, Real, or any of the numerous download stores, they are taking the onus on themselves to sell music to the masses. I have always been a fan of TMBG and their digital innovation. Emusic.com got a year’s worth of subscription from me because they featured TMBG special albums every month for a year.

Now, TMBG is allowing users to download strgaight from them songs for $0.99 apiece and $9.99 an album. They’ll also have special web only downloads. The mp3 files are not DRM enabled, and are trnasferable to your heart’s content.

This in a word ROCKS. I know that the band gets all my money, and I get quality files that I can do with as I please. Win win for both sides. Kudos to TMBG for yet another magical idea!!!

A special message directly from John Flansburgh is quoted below:

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS CREATE ARTIST OWNED AND OPERATED DOWNLOAD SITE AT THEYMIGHTBEGIANTS.COM

In a move currently uncharted in the electronic downloading game, Brooklyn alt. rock legends They Might Be Giants have created their own artist owned and operated downloading site. TheyMightBeGiants.com offers 99 cent downloads, and exclusive bundles of TMBG albums prorated for $10, along with exclusive songs only available online. TMBG enjoy a unique spot as one of the most downloaded bands online, often popping into top ten download lists on Soundscan thanks to heavy traffic through iTunes and other corporate download sites.

The site’s unique “artist owned” status clears up many ethical issues for users. Guitarist John Flansburgh explains, “Audience habits are changing quickly, especially online. We find their comfort level with dealing directly with the band’s site is actually greater than through a lot of on-line stores. Our fans don’t need a filter, and respect the value of our effort. To be honest, we love having our CDs distributed through the big guys (note: Rounder/Universal distributes TMBG label Idlewild in brick and mortar stores). We couldn’t do it without them, but we’d rather handle the digital side ourselves. The TMBG download site seems like a pretty natural solution for bands trying to deal with the current web sprawl. I think TheyMightBeGiants.com is a pretty good model for the future.”

In another move breaking away from industry practice, TMBG’s MP3s are free of encoding gimmicks and electronic watermarks. They can be transferred from computer to computer effortlessly. The MP3s on the TMBG download site are mastered in extraordinary fidelity (far superior to even last year’s technology).