Trent Reznor announced today that he’d be distributing an album by Saul Williams, an outside project via the Internet. Trent says, ‘One thing that IS very different in our situation is that Saul’s not the household name (yet!) that Radiohead is, and that means we need your support on this more than ever. If you like what you hear, spread the word.’

The model is similar to Radiohead, ‘Pay What You Want’.

If you choose to pay for the record, your download will be available in the following formats:

192Kbps MP3
320Kbps MP3
FLAC lossless audio

If you choose not to pay for the record, you will receive it in 192Kbps MP3 format.

All versions include a PDF with artwork and lyrics, and all files are 100% DRM free, and can be played on any device. MP3s are encoded with LAME v3.97 and love.

The Bottom Line: Rather than setting up the record through a middleman, Trent decided to sell the record directly to consumers. Trent is right in the fact that Saul is not a household name and support is needed. Would a middleman be more effective in spreading the word for a lesser known artist and contributing to the bottom line? Time will tell….