Let's face it. People are screwing musicians. No, not like that. What I mean is (and I hate to crush your preconceived notions of the music industry), people aren't buying albums anymore. They're totally downloading them illegally on the internet. I know. Just take a deep breath and you'll be OK.

So Radiohead has made a bold move. They've decided to offer their latest album, "In Rainbows" digitally, allowing customers to decide how much they want to pay. So while a lawyer in New York can throw $15 at them, a punk from Penn State can chip in only 12 cents. It's a pretty innovative idea and I'd like to give Radiohead a virtual friendly pat on the back.

It really is a clever marketing scheme. Of course media will want to cover it -- hell, the New York Times already did a piece on. Now, not only do you have music critics reviewing the album, you've got other business and economic-oriented journalists covering it as well. Double your pleasure, double your media attention. And people are talking about it. "How much are you gonna pay?" will be heard around many a water-cooler.

Plus, it gives Radiohead credibility and positive associations because it shows that they're not just in it for the money man. I know, I know, this after they've already become super successful and have loads of cash, but still. People will like them more for it.

I'll be interested to see how this works out. It may be good for bands like Radiohead or U2 that are sucessful and have a big loyal fan base, but my guess is it won't work for most.