NY Indie Retailer OTHER Adds MP3 Download Store

Revered New York indie retailer Other Music is launching a download site late next month.  "The basic strategy will be the same as at the shop. We sort through
everything and present a wide array of the best stuff that we can find,
from oddball reissues to great new music across a variety of genres," Other Music’s Josh Madall told Wired.com.  "…We feel there is a real need for great indie download shops with a curated selection."

Madall also had some interesting comments on how iTunes and eMusic aren’t always great for indie bands and labels. "Apple makes their real money selling iPods, not music; the music is
almost a loss leader to get folks to buy the players, and that can’t be
ideal for artists’ concerns….EMusic is complicated too.
They are perhaps the biggest force distributing indie music online, but
with their subscription model, the labels are paid a fraction of what
they make for a sale on iTunes or at a shop like ours".

As more download sites like Other’s offer DRM free mp3’s and variable pricing, this can’t be good news for Apple and far worse news for eMusic.  Interested labels and musicians should contact labels@othermusic.com.