Coldplay released their anticipated new single today “Violet Hill” as a free download on their own site. This is the first preview of their 4th album “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends”, which is set to be released June 12th. Their site got hit pretty hard today. I was sitting around for a while just trying to get to the page, but after a couple tries I was able to get my first taste and quite frankly, I am impressed.

It refreshingly slightly departs from their usual style, which can be accredited to their collaboration with the well known U2 producer Brian Eno, who’s influences are particularly noted in the ambient style intro.

Their choice to release their first single as a free download for a limited time is a smart but not surprising move. Coldplay will also be playing in three free shows, June 16 in London and June 23 at Madison Square Garden in New York. A third free show will be performed where most of the album was recorded, Barcelona, Spain. The date for this show has yet to be determined.

Coldplay’s free single release is the latest in the free music distribution or “pay what you want” model that was pioneered by Radiohead’s latest album release “In Rainbows“. Radiohead’s move to manage the distribution and sales of their latest album has insipred other bands like Coldplay and Nine Inch Nails (NIN) to follow suit and adapt similar models.

NIN’s Tret Reznor reported $1.6 million in sales in their first week from their last album “In Ghost I-IV“, which was released March 2nd and distributed on their own website www.nin.com. Even Metallica, known for their strong stance against file-sharing and helping shut down Napster, has recently hinted in an interview with RollingStone magazine, at following in the footsteps of Radiohead and NIN.

Artists are starting to realize that taking music distribution into their own hands is becoming an easier task, particularly well established ones, who already have a following. With Record contracts ending for artists such as Metallica and recently NIN along with ever decreasing CD sales, one starts to question the viability and longevity of the traditional record label and the future of music distribution.