The Eagles are pushing ahead with plans for a reunion studio album and are toying with the idea of bypassing the major record companies to release the album independently through the internet.

"I would love to see us go away from major labels, and the Internet may make that possible," Eagles co-leader Glenn Frey told The L.A. Times's Robert Hillburn.

"I'd love to put out a studio album with all new songs on ERC, the Eagles Recording Co."

Before any Eagles reunion disc can come out, Frey's partner, Don Henley, will issue a solo album and plans some limited touring. But both Henley and Frey said they had been writing together with an eye to producing another album of new music by The Eagles, whose greatest hits album was recently certified as the biggest-selling ever in the U.S., at 26 million copies.

Aside from a limited series of reunion concerts leading up to a millennium show in Los Angeles, The Eagles recently spent six weeks in the studio together recording two new songs, and they could continue work on the album next fall, according to The Times.

The group's deal with Asylum records has expired, which means a new Eagles album could trigger a bidding war between the major labels. If they do eschew that massive payday for a shot at marketing the record themselves via the Internet, they would be by far the biggest act to make that choice.

The Tragically Hip released their concert album, "Live Between Us", in the U.S. exclusively through the online record store Music Blvd. (which has since been absorbed by the e-tailer CDNow) and enjoyed good success with direct sales through the internet, the group's manager Jake Gold said.

Under traditional record deals, artists get an advance to cover the cost of making the record, which means they receive a small portion of each record's retail price as a royalty. Working outside the major labels typically means artists receive a larger royalty per record.

"It can work for anyone. The Hip did a thing with their live album and they had a lot of success. And at the time, Internet sales were pretty small," said Gold.

The biggest obstacle for any artist going it alone remains marketing the disc, Gold added.

"You've still got to tell people where to get it. You have got to have traditional media. There is still going to be traditional advertising."

After years of struggling with major labels, this past summer Cheap Trick struck a deal with the online e-tail giant Amazon.com for sales of their independently released live album, "Music For Hangovers."

"For us it has been a good experience, but it is a lot of responsibility," the group's manager David Frey told JAM!

"The example we have tried to follow is Ani DiFranco. She is very responsible to her fans, to deliver to them something she can completely control, in a really good way. I think it is good for any band to be into anything that strengthens the link between the artist and their fans."

Under the deal with Amazon, "Music For Hangovers" was available exclusively through the website for the first eight weeks for a mere $15, including shipping. The result was, before the disc was even sent to traditional record stores, the group had already recouped its expenses.

"It was a good experience for us."

More than anything else, Cheap Trick remained in full control of their work, Frey said. But for any act that hopes to get heavy radio airplay and widespread marketing, artists may have to accede control in return for a major label's marketing muscle.

"To a certain extent, you need a major record company, if you are going to be on the radio in a big way," Frey said.

"If you are going to be Santana with "Smooth" and become a multiplatinum record, you need someone there (pushing the record to radio). If not, you are going to sell a quarter-million records and not cross over to that impulsive teenager buyer, then it is a lot more lucrative and you are a lot better off to do it yourself, because you'll have some control," he said.

"I think that as broadband and the critical mass that will bring approachs, this will no longer be an unconventional thing. Anything with digital data will be sold or promoted in more of a virtual way."