What's everyone think about this concept? I've seen a couple of bands do it recently.

Radiohead put out their latest album this way. You put in the price you want to pay when you download it. The site can be a little confusing, but here's the link:Radiohead InRainbows

An artist that is probably not as well known to most of you, Saul Williams, is doing something similar here.

I expect NIN to do the same with future releases, as Trent recently posted this on the NIN site:

Hello everyone. I've waited a LONG time to be able to make the following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is atotally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label. I have been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate. Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008. Exciting times, indeed.

So the question is, will this work? Will people pay for music they can get for free? If it does work, will the RIAA realize it is working and finally change their tune (no pun intended) about some of their policies. It seems a lot of the money larger artists make is from touring, so maybe they can afford to just give the music away.

I think it is a good way to get new fans. For example, I've always heard good things about Radiohead and mostly like the couple songs I've heard on the radio, but don't have any of their albums. I downloaded this one free to try them out and see if I like it. I think I'm more likely to go out and buy some of their older albums if I do.

I saw Saul Williams open for NIN and I liked some songs, others I didn't. Having the album available to try out first will definately provide more exposure though.

I just remembered another band, Harvey Danger, did this as well with their 3rd album Little by Little

For those of you that don't remember them, they had a song called Flagpole Sitta that was big around 1997. I actually have all 3 of their albums and like them all. Intelligent lyrics, but now I'm getting off topic.

Anyway, enough rambling...wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this phenomenon.