Nimbit, the management system for music professionals, has launched a service that lets musicians sell MP3 downloads directly on their own Web sites. Now, instead of receiving only a small percentage of revenue from a third-party site, indie musicians can sell digital downloads themselves and keep most of the money.

The MP3 files are compatible with all major digital music players.

According to Nimbit, after the third-party service takes its cut, and all other fees are paid, the artist is lucky to get 30 cents out of each 99-cent download.

Artists who get a Nimbit account can sell their digital tracks on their own Web site along with physical merchandise such as CDs and T-shirts. Nimbit also handles the credit card transactions. Using the Nimbit service to sell direct-to-fans, artists get a minimum of 80% of the purchase price on digital downloads - a 260% increase over what they get from established music services. This, says Nimbit, allows artists to make more money while gaining wider exposure and control of their careers.