It was Nichthus who alerted me to Radiohead's u-turn, though I can't agree with his title: So, the sense is returning? Perhaps because I'm not only older but more cynical! So I picked up slightly different aspects to note:

"...and the dwindling revenue pot from CD sales."

Yet when:

"In Rainbows was later released conventionally as a CD, and topped the US and UK charts."

All the free publicity and hype helped then, and others spotted it:

"Most recently fellow English rockers Coldplay said Monday that they would give away its new single Violet Hill free of charge, resulting in the group's website crashing the next day due to demand."

Smart move Radiohead, "give it away" so that you sell even more copies, and by maintaining or enhancing your fame as well rake in the bucks. But, as I asked back in October when the move was announced:

But how do people (say biblical scholars) who do not get paid mega-bucks for personal appearances and the like pay for the other people's work needed for a successful publication. Our own work is either a hobby or we are paid for it as part of our job, but whatever format we choose except the casual blog, we need proofreaders, designers, film editors etc... to help make the "product"... how do we pay them?