The Shins are likely to self-release their fourth studio album through frontman James Mercer's Aural Apothecary label, Billboard can reveal. The beloved indie rock group's first three albums were released by Sub Pop.

"The deal will be more of a [pressing and distribution] deal than a traditional record deal," Shins manager Ian Montone tells Billboard. "That partner could very well remain Sub Pop, who have done a remarkable job with the band and have a great staff of people who really love music. It could be a digital partner with respect to other rights. All of this is being determined. The first goal is to make the record and see where that takes us."

Says Sub Pop general manager Megan Jasper, "The Shins have been a huge part of Sub Pop's story. We'd love to continue working with them."

The Shins are seeking a deal that would allow them to own their masters, "and, in addition to the marketing tools we have at our own disposal, team up with a label partner that will assist with additional marketing, radio, and various costs," Montone reports.

For a band like the Shins, who have sold 1.58 million albums in the United States since 2001, according to Nielsen SoundScan, such a deal makes sense because "it allows them to have the best of all possible worlds -- control and ownership, as well as the ability to still partner with a label and be able to take advantage of that traditional infrastructure," according to Montone.

The band's most recent album, 2007's "Wincing the Night Away," debuted at a career-best No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 538,000 copies.