Good news for all those who’ve lamented the unavailability of high quality, unrestricted digital content from D.C.’s most storied independent record label. Dischord Records’ catalog has been available via the iTunes store and some other online sources for a few years now, but those recordings were most often only available at relatively low 128 kbps quality, and contained all the usual DRM restrictions. Not only that, in many of those stores a Dischord track cost the same as the new single by Britney Spears, when the label has historically been all about pricing things more reasonably than major labels.
But the label just announced via their newsletter Thursday that their newly revamped website now doubles as a fully functioning online digital music store as well. And they’re offering much higher quality MP3s than can be found at other sources (320 kbps), plus all tracks are DRM free.
Pricing is only $7 for almost all full albums, while single tracks can be purchased via a credits system that works out to just shy of 67 cents per song. As many labels are now doing, 12″ vinyl purchased through the website will automatically allow a free digital download of the record as well. The new site also includes a media player with selected streaming content, and the label is soliciting submissions of good quality audio and video material of Dischord bands to include on the player.