Before 30 Seconds to Mars settled their lawsuit with label EMI, frontman Jared Leto was very interested in Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails' pay-what-you-want method of internet release. Most of his admiration went to NIN frontman Trent Reznor. "I'd be curious to see more examples because didn't Radiohead eventually put their record out?" Leto says. "Trent seems to be the only guy that's stuck to his guns and stayed tried and true. He's a god among men."

Leto has one thing in common with Reznor: 30 Seconds to Mars are recording their new album, due this fall, with longtime NIN associate Flood. But if Reznor is available, Leto would love to book some time. "It's really interesting to see such a creative person express himself in business terms, to see how would he do things," he says. "I don't pretend to know what's going on in his camp -- what he's doing or who's involved -- but from what I know as a fan, I'm sure he's very involved in everything. I'd love to talk to him about what he's learned."

Still, despite his respect and interest in the pay-what-you-want model, Leto is sticking with the industry for now. "I'm not so sure I've seen someone do it better than a record company to tell you the truth," he says. "I've seen someone do it differently, not better. I've gotta give credit where credit is due."