Radiohead is doing something most record companies would deem unthinkable for the band's newest album -- letting the consumer name the price of the album.

In Rainbows, the band's seventh album and the first since Hail to the Thief from 2003, will be available to download today on Radiohead's Web site, www.radiohead.com. Only one album can be downloaded per e-mail, and the Web site requires a credit card to make the transaction, but there's an input box for the price.

"No really, it's up to you," reads a caption on the Web site.

It's hard to say if this is an idealistic ploy, if the band hopes people will pay a fair price or if enough people will buy the box set for 40 British pounds ($81.64).

"The '60s was all about free love, free music, free everything," said Mark Ballora, associate professor of music technology at Penn State. "Radiohead is going to see if it works for them; it's nice to see somebody has that sensibility."

A positive aspect of this marketing model is that it circumvents the dreaded album leak, Ballora said.

"It sounds a bit like insanity," said Greg Gabbard, owner of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave. "It seems to me that Radiohead themselves are leaking the album."

This unprecedented album distribution technique, at least by a major band, is not pleasing everyone.

"It can't do anything but hurt my business. A new release day with Radiohead? I would have sold lots of them," Gabbard said. "The consumer could get it for next to nothing, but what does that do for the rest of the [music] hierarchy?"

Radiohead fan and Penn State student Erek Padlaszek agreed.

"I don't know why they feel the need to deviate from normal distribution," Padlaszek (senior-physics) said. "If it's a band I love, like Radiohead, I always buy the hard copy."

Ballora said he was unsure if this would really have any dramatic effect on record stores.

"I wouldn't suspect this would hurt [record stores] more than they're already hurting," he said. "The demise of record stores hurts everyone. There used to be a social interaction with people listening to music together. Where do you do that now?"

Ballora said although this model is "outside the box," he doesn't think it will be a trend for up-and-coming bands anytime soon.

"It typically takes three albums to break the band. [Record labels] are used to putting a lot of time and money up front before they can see a profit. That's the model Radiohead is fighting against," Ballora said. "I think it's too simplistic to say they're finally sticking it to the man -- you need the man somewhere, somehow."

Though Radiohead's marketing concept has had some mixed reactions, other students were receptive to the concept.

"If they want to make it accessible to everybody, then they can get their message out effectively," Isaac Kassis (senior-biology neuroscience) said. "I think it's a good strategy."

Ballora said recording companies are now open-minded in terms of new marketing strategies.

"By and large, college-age students don't find music as something that they have to buy; to them, it's something that should be free," he said. "The whole online [music market] is still in its infancy. Everybody agrees iTunes works pretty well for Apple, but beyond that, nobody knows what to do next."

The public can buy In Rainbows by downloading it or ordering a box set, which would ship "on or before" Dec. 3. As for a usual distribution deal, the band hasn't announced any plans other than that the physical copy of In Rainbows will be released in 2008, according to www.billboard.com.

"Radiohead is a well-defined entity now, so they're in a position to try this," Ballora said. "I hope it works out for them and I hope it inspires people to think outside the box."