David Bowie [ tickets ]'s forthcoming album "hours..." will be available for download via the Internet two weeks before it's released to record stores. Traditional retailer outlets won't be cut out of the loop, though, as fans will have to download the album from the web sites of more than 50 participating retailers.

According to Virgin Records America, the Bowie release will mark the first time a major recording artist and a major record company have teamed with retail to sell a full, downloadable album through the Internet (though various artists have made singles available on the Web). The music will be downloadable in Liquid Audio and Microsoft Windows Media formats. ''hours...'' will be available via the Internet on Sept. 21, and will be in stores on Oct. 5.

In a statement, Bowie said he wasn't expecting to sell a large number of albums over the Internet.

''We are all aware that broadband opportunities are not yet available to the overwhelming majority of people, and therefore expect the success of this experiment to be measured in hundreds and not thousands of downloads,'' he said. ''However, just as color television broadcasts and film content on home video tapes were required first steps to cause their industries to expand consumer use, I am hopeful that this small step will lead to large leaps by myself and others ultimately giving consumers greater choices and easier access to the music they enjoy.''

The Bowie strategy appears to be an attempt to pacify the record retailing industry, which has eyed digital downloads with suspicion.

''We fully respect the role our retailers play in selling our artists' music and, therefore, we are pleased to further support their position by making this exciting initiative only available via their existing web sites,'' Richard Cottrell of EMI Music Distribution said in a statement. ''By distributing the digital download via the retailer sites we gain, for David Bowie's album, the maximum impact from the power of the retailer brands and their consumer reach.''

Bowie is schedule to perform at NetAid, a global anti-hunger benefit concert, at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 9.