The word “fad” usually carries negative connotations with it. A fad is something that is popular for a time and then, slowly but surely, dies out. It’s usually something that is easily mimicked and, for the most part, is accessible to a good amount of people.

Some fads are funny, such as the “I’m Rick James, bitch!” fad created by comedian Dave Chappelle a few years ago. Some fads are weird, like disco. And some fads are truly eye-opening, as the recent “Green” sustainability fad that has been consistently growing in popularity over the past few years.

So, when I heard that the alternative, hard rock group Nine Inch Nails was releasing their new album Ghost I-IV online without the help of a major record label, the question “Is this a fad?” immediately popped up in my mind.

The album is Nine Inch Nail’s sixth studio release and first album since 2007’s widely praised Year Zero. Ghosts I-IV is comprised of 36 tracks of new material which can be downloaded off of their website for a mere $5. For Other prices ranging up to $300, the album can be purchased along with more loads of goodies including two CDs of the album, a Blue-Ray high definition version of the album, a DVD, four vinyl track recordings of the release, and two prints signed by Nine Inch Nail’s front man, Trent Reznor.

“I think it is a great idea if the artist already has the financial means to do so.” Says Loyola University of Chicago student Patrick Nolan. “Also, the artist will make quite a bit of money as it stands because there is little to no production cost like making the discs, casing, getting record store approval, etc.”

This “pay-what-you-want” ideal comes almost five months after the release of Radiohead’s critically acclaimed album In Rainbows. The progressive European powerhouse released the album, also without the backing of a major record label, via their website. Fans of the group were given the option to pay what they desired for their much-anticipated new album and also an alternative to order an $80 “discbox” featuring among other things, eight more new tracks not on the album.

“I hadn’t heard about the Nine Inch Nails album but did hear about the Radiohead album. It definitely changes the game of the record industry,” states Ithaca College junior Revi Roza. “I suppose its smart in the way that it gives the consumer an option. With illegal downloading as prevalent as it is, if consumers are given a choice, I’m sure real fans would rather pay their own price for the cd than the jacked up record store’s prices.”

So, what is this new self-releasing, “pay-what you want” fad that major artists are pursuing? It’s quite understandable for independent artists to just release their music in anyway possible. It’s actually the smart thing to do for lesser-known artists: get your music out by any means possible. However, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are not small indie bands trying to make a name for themselves in the music industry. They could have released their CDs in a record store for $15-$20 and many fans would have still picked them up.

So, why make this move? Easy: for all the fans that would have bought the respective band’s new albums in store, twice as many people would have just downloaded for free in the comfort of their own homes. So what did Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails decide to do? Beat them to the punch.

If you haven’t already noticed the world around you, we are now living in the Digital Age. We don’t buy albums anymore because we know there are thousands of different sites on the web that we can get them from. We do the same thing for movies, television shows, and books these days. Why go to the movies and pay a ridiculous price for a ticket when you could just save the effort, stay home and have the film downloaded onto your iPhone?

Thus, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails, two very successful mainstream bands, are perpetuating a once-indie fad into the mainstream. Their focus seems to have diverted from the record industry machine ideals of makings money to the notions of simply attempting to get their music out. Also, there was reportedly some serious disdain for each group’s particular record labels which led to these self-imposed digital releases. Either way, whatever the reasoning for a change to this “pay-what-you-want” direction, fans are not complaining.

“If more artists did it, I would be a happy man,” says Andrew Emhof, a junior at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “I listen to a lot of stuff that isn’t sold at record stores, but with the internet, I can now get a hold of their stuff while giving them a donation directly.”

Whether or not Nine Inch Nail’s Ghosts I-IV will fair well in 2008 still remains to be known.  However, it seems as though it might be headed in the right direction, as Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” became one of their most popular albums to date, one of their most financially successful albums and, critically, one of the best albums of 2007.  This, without a doubt, partially has to do with the way the album was first released.

Thus, it’s safe to say that the new “pay-what-you-want” release design for albums is a fad more major artists should consider jumping on board with.