Independent labels and retailers can now build their own shops to sell digital music online thanks to ithinkmusic.com's free web application.

LONDON-BARCELONA - A new web application called ithinkmusic.com enables users to build and manage online stores selling mp3s. Users can upload their own music files for sale on their own store as well as list releases for sale from the available ithinkmusic.com catalog. Profits from these sales to users vary from 30 to 95% of the retail price, with only 5% of every sale going to ithinkmusic.com to cover operational costs like bandwidth and storage fees.

All of the music files are hosted by ithinkmusic.com. Users build stores using the tools provided the same way they would build a myspace page or blog and link to the content on the database. Payments are taken by ithinkmusic.com and distributed through an automated system to all parties. A label would get 95% of the retail price for any item sold through its own store; 65% of the retail price for its releases sold through other stores; and 30% of other items sold through its own store.

The application boasts an array of tools ranging from uploading and cataloging music files to designing and customizing individual stores and networking between buyers and sellers of music, encouraging

"We think ithink is a fantastic idea as it allows independent labels to pull together and promote each others material whilst still retaining their own identity," says Graham Luckhurst of Mr. Bongo Records. "If it catches on with consumers it could be huge."

"We created this program as a zero-cost solution to the needs of the independents," says Guillermo Gonzalez, spokesperson for ithinkmusic.com. "We believe the independent retailer is getting overshadowed by iTunes and they deserve a more level playing field, so we started by building a tool for them that eventually turned into a community, where anything you could do in the physical music world for you could do in the digital world as well."

Key among the features of the ithinkmusic program is its ability to link to products from a myspace page or blog. "There are lots of selling opportunities out there for an independent label," says Gonzalez. "What we offer them is more control of their product through their own branded site."