Two weeks ago, the British rock band Radiohead, known for its unique musical arrangements and complex, often indecipherable lyrics, did something totally unoriginal, boring and banal. It was also, quite possibly, a stroke of utter genius.

Instead of marketing and distributing their latest studio album, “In Rainbows,” conventionally, Radiohead decided to release the album exclusively over the Internet, and without the support of a record label.

But the real kicker is this: the album price is up to you. That’s right, if you don’t feel like paying a dime, you can download the entire album for free. If Radiohead is your favorite band in the world and you feel like throwing money at them, you can buy the album for $10, $20, $100 or more.

This is hardly, as many music journalists have been claiming, a “revolutionary” way of doing business. In fact, it’s no different than the strategy employed by street-corner musicians. They play their music in public for free, and let passersby choose the dollar amount they wish to recompense them with, usually by way of a few quarters thrown into an empty guitar case.

But even though this isn’t the most innovative thing that Radiohead has ever done, it may be the smartest. For years, the music industry has seen album sale profits decline due to the increased popularity of Internet piracy. Some bands have expressed their dismay at this development, while others have applauded it. But Radiohead is approaching the issue pragmatically: Internet piracy is here, it’s not going away – why not just accept the inevitable and learn to live with it?

For musicians, the Radiohead model offers a practical way to earn money in the age of digital downloads. With no record label and no marketing costs, Radiohead will get to keep every dollar they earn from “In Rainbows.” But the main source of music revenue in the future won’t be album sales; it will be concert tickets. Recorded music will simply be a way to generate interest and promote live performances.

For fans, this model may result in better music. The more expensive a product’s base price is, the older that product’s demographic will be. Recorded music in the future might be free, but concert tickets will be extremely expensive. Thus, the most successful bands will be those aimed at college students and young profesionals, not those aimed at 12-year-olds. So long, Justin and Britney.

Who knows if Radiohead’s plan will work? Despite the fact that “In Rainbows” is being offered for free, over 500,000 copies of it have been downloaded ‘illegally’ off of BitTorrent since its release. But even if it fails, it will have sparked thousands of discussions on the future of music, and there are few, if any, recent albums that can claim such a distinguished accomplishment.