Radiohead may be giving up on the free or “pay as you like” media market, but other bands aren't. Nine Inch Nails, who extended their infamy a bit with an online album, have released another album online. This one differs from the first in that it is completely free. The new album “The Slip” can be acquired from the NIN website in several different formats, all of which are not burdened with cumbersome DRM or draconian registration policies. The music is available as mp3, FLAC, M4A and WAV, with the WAV formats actually carrying higher quality than a traditional CD would.

The goal? Charity aside, it is to be ahead of the curve in music openness, and the relative success they had, financially, with the online release of their previous album, Ghosts I-IV, eased their minds. This is encouraging, and shows that not all artists are following in the footsteps of media behemoths like the RIAA.