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This band has long legs. U2 have been around since 1976. That is an amazing long time in the traditionally here today gone tomorrow life span of rock bands. Their latest album, to be released on March 2, 2009 has already caused a stir.

In line with Radiohead’s marketing strategy, U2 is launching No Line On the Horizon via the internet. The album can be listened to on MySpace Music.  Contrary to Radiohead though it seems that U2’s Album may be bought or pre-ordered between February 20 and the launch date for a predetermined price. Radiohead left it up to its fans as to how much they wanted to pay.

With the speed of lightning the Bittorrent option is already available to download the entire album.  YouTube already has videos of the first single to be released: Get On Your Boots.

It seemed that the album had been leaked in its entirety according to an article on Techcrunch.. However MySpace states that the streamed release had been planned all along. A viral campaign it seems and a very effective one.

The question that will be answered in the following weeks will be whether people are still buying the music or whether they are happy to enjoy their Bittorrent streamed music. Is music everyone’s right to have, or should one need to pay for the right to listen to it?

No such restrictions were made on music written in previous centuries. Musicians made their money via performances rather than by selling the rights for somebody to be allowed to listen to it. This modern business model bases it’s existence on the fact that the companies distributing the music need to make loads of profits.

Are those days over? Will composers and musicians take back their own distribution and their rights to their compositions now that it is so easy to market via the digital platform? Some part of this business model will definitely change, there is no doubt. How it will finally play out will be interesting to observe. Check out a great article by Seth Godin on this point.