Radiohead ditch 'pay what you want' for new album

British rock group Radiohead said Monday they will release a new album online this week - but abandoned the experiment they made with their last record when they let fans decide the price.

In a surprise announcement on their website, the band said "The King of Limbs", their eighth album, could be downloaded for £6 ($9, 7 euros) from Saturday.

In October 2007 Radiohead caused a major stir in the music industry when they told listeners they could pay whatever they wanted to download their album "In Rainbows".

At the time the website said "It's up to you" in place of a price.

A survey soon afterwards showed that about a third of people paid nothing for the downloaded album, with the average price being four pounds.

Some industry figures criticised the band, saying the precedent of allowing fans to pay what they wanted could be dangerous for artists trying to protect their interests at a difficult time.

The four-piece band formed in Oxford, central England, in the 1980s and reached global stardom with hit albums OK Computer and Kid A, featuring gloomy, atmospheric sounds and Yorke's high-pitched voice.

"The King of Limbs" will also be available on vinyl and CD from May 9 via the XL independent record label, in a special edition featuring more than 600 pieces of artwork.