Tom DeLonge might be best known for his music with Blink 182, but that hasn’t stopped him from using his other band, Angels & Airwaves, as a spring board for reinventing the way music is distributed in the recording industry today.

For the band’s latest album, LOVE, DeLonge opted to offer the album for free to download on the band’s website.  While this certainly isn’t the first time a band has given away an entire album for free, it is the first time that a band marketed their free album the way DeLonge’s is.

“I kind of look at like TV, if people watch a show on NBC they basically are watching for free, but there is a whole business model around it with merchandising and advertising,” DeLonge explained to Alternative Addiction during a recent interview.  “I see music the same way, give the people the music for free and let the platform surrounding it generate the revenue.”

The platform that DeLonge is referring to is Modlife, a new website template that allows fans to watch pay-per-view concerts, download movies, and connect with the band in unique ways.  The theory is to use the band’s free music to attract fans to the site where they will spend money on other services offered.

“What it boils down to is there are all these different options to make money off of, and get millions copies out to the public by offering the music for free.”

With the music industry selling so few copies of physical albums today, DeLonge thinks that the industry needs to consider fresh ideas like Modlife rather than sticking to their antiquated business model.

“Theoretically you could make millions of dollars,” says DeLonge of the platform.  “I don’t think we are going to do that, but we’re just trying to put the train in motion for what could happen for the music industry.”

Bands like Korn and The White Stripes have already signed up to use Modlife for future albums, seeing the success that Angels & Airwaves are having.  The platform is open to any band or artist looking to take advantage of its revolutionary business concept at http://modlife.com/

As for AVA, the band is completing their movie that accompanies the new album, which DeLonge says is due out this summer.  In the meantime, the band will be heading out on tour later this month.

“It’s going to be a great tour, it’s going to be one of the last times you’ll be able to see the band in smaller venues,” DeLonge said.  “We’ll be doing two hour sets, and I’m excited to get out there and play, it will definitely be a performance.”

Listen To Alternative Addiction's Interview with Tom DeLonge