The Music Business Continues to Pass

I've been a fan of Radiohead since their album OK Computer. I sometimes ask myself the question, "What music will still be around in 200 years?" and I think Radiohead have a promising chance at still being discussed and listened to.

One innovation bound for the history books is how they will distribute and price their new album, In Rainbows. It's available as a digital download from their album website at a price you decide. That's right, when it comes time to pay, you type in the price you want to pay. You can choose to pay a little or a lot -- it's all on the honor system.

VH1.com calls it either "the opening salvo in the all-out war for the future of the music industry" or "the most bizarre marketing strategy of all time." I'd call it an interesting example of the individualization of the music business. For an artist as large as Radiohead to do this, without the aid of a record company pushing it, is remarkable.

Is this the future of selling music?