Radiohead in rainbows

02 October 2007

Radiohead are releasing their latest album under their own steam, with no record label and no distribution, via an internet download where you choose how much you want to pay for it.

It’s already been well documented and discussed, but whatever you’re take, it’s certainly an interesting idea and one that’s sure to generate a fair amount of publicity and get people thinking about the business of marketing music now that the internet is on the scene.

While this is not a completely new thing (a few bands have given music away as a free download before), this is the first time I’ve heard of a band as well-known as Radiohead doing it. What’s interesting about this approach, too is that while you could technically download the album for nothing, the band’s site sends you through a shopping cart that asks you to fill out the price yourself. You pay what you want (if anything at all):

Whether they make back the money it cost them to write, rehearse and record the album is yet to be seen, as is the record industry impact that the experiment may have. I don’t know how much bands usually get as a percentage of each record sale, but maybe with no label, CD pressings and distribution costs the band will actually work out making more money than they otherwise would have, though I’m certain that’s not their intention.

The other thing about this is that we’re all downloading the album without having ever heard any of it. I guess Radiohead have such a huge, dedicated following that we’re all happy to do this, but what about those that want to hear it first? Perhaps they’re assuming everyone will just download it for free somewhere? Maybe they’re going to release it on CD at a later date.

It’s worth also mentioning that they’re releasing a ‘Discbox’ for those fans that want something tangible, containing:

…the new album, in rainbows, on cd and on 2 x 12 inch heavyweight vinyl records. A second, enhanced cd contains more new songs, along with digital photographs and artwork. The discbox also includes artwork and lyric booklets. All are encased in a hardback book and slipcase.

This includes the digital download too, all for 40, which they’re making to order.

Personally, I really like Radiohead. Not only for the music but for exactly this kind of stuff. I’m not a big enough fan to buy the Discbox, but I’ve placed my download order and I’m quite enjoying the anticipation of receiving my email with the download url and access key. The other thing I love about Radiohead is their artwork, so I’m interested to see if the download contains any other surprises like printable artwork, or a PDF booklet.

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