Radiohead tells fans to pay what they want for album

SneakySneaky

SneakySneaky

Trooper
Radiohead tells fans to pay what they want for album

10/01/2007 11:25 AM, Reuters
Jonathan Cohen

"Radiohead, one of the world's most influential rock bands, plans to sell its new album from its Web site as a digital download and let fans choose what they want to pay.

With music sales in decline globally for seven successive years, the industry is engaged in a debate over how best to reverse the trend.

Radiohead said its seventh studio album "In Rainbows" would be available from Radiohead.com from October 10 in MP3 format, meaning it can be played on all digital devices. In the latest twist in the move to digital music, fans can choose how much to pay, or can pay nothing if they prefer.

The band will also offer a special edition boxed set for 40 pounds ($82) which will be available later and will include two vinyl albums, a CD version of the new album and a second CD with additional new songs, artwork and photographs of the band.

Music observers said the British five-piece, which is no longer signed to a record label, is able to sell directly to its fans because it has such an established support base.

"They are the first band to put their money where their mouth is," Gareth Grundy, deputy editor of Q music magazine, told Reuters. "I think other bands that have been similarly successful will look and, if it is deemed to have worked, will do the same."

The traditional music business model has been under pressure as piracy and the move to digital sales has cut into album revenues. A strong area of growth, however, is live music and any subsequent tour by Radiohead would be boosted by the interest generated by the album.

"The traditional business model had been ruined by the Internet," said Grundy. "The industry is still trying to work out what on earth the new model or models should be and this is just one option."

Radiohead's digital or boxed set versions could be pre-ordered from the group's Web site from Monday and a spokesman said the box set had so far proved the more popular.

The group is planning a traditional CD release of the album in early 2008.

A decision by U.S. music star artist Prince to give his latest album away free with a British newspaper was met with fury by retailers and the industry who said it undermined the value of recorded music."


So what do you think of this?  I'm not really familiar with the band,  but I think this is a very brave move and it intrigues me to check them out.  All I knew about them was the video clip of "Just" which I consider one of the best music video clips.

PS.  This is the right place to post this,  right?  If not,  someone please move it,  and accept my apologies.  :)
 
To me, those who lose the most because of "piracy" are the majors (I don't know if that's the right word in english). So this initiative is really fun, I think. They (the majors) are trying all they can do to steer clear of illegal downloading, but they're predictably going into the wall. When you look at how live some artists and what they do of "artistic", you can really wonder why they earn so much money and, abovr all, how they do it. CD's price is too expensive, how can it be sold (sorry, I'm french) 20 € for "normal price" and then, less than 10 € ? If it's not to make the maximum profits, I can't imagine why.

So, that's really a good initiative that took Radiohead and surely that other bands will do the same. They're the first ti push the concept as far, letting the downloaders the choice to give money and the amount.

Viva la revolution ! (joke)

PS 1 : not really the first to do it, some punk band did it 2 or 3 years before, but it's also true that they're not as known as Radiohead...

PS 2 : If I bad used some english expressions, send me PM ;)
 
Thats an interesting idea. I haven't heard any songs of theirs but I know they are really popular, I think they are the 2nd most listened to band in last.fm after The Beatles). So they should find it easy to try out this idea. Actually, I think most fans will be honest and pay a fair sum. (Atleast I hope so)
 
They're a good band, but in my opinion they're not a band that's good for casual listening. To really appreciate their stuff, you have to sit and listen.

Yes, I know, almost any band sounds better when you sit and listen. But I mean there are many bands who you can just play in the background and not lose much. AC/DC comes to mind, since I listened to half a dozen AC/DC albums at work today. But when I try that with Radiohead, I wind up thinking "what the hell is this music?". It works when I pay attention, but doesn't if I don't.
 
porcnoz said:
To me, those who lose the most because of "piracy" are the majors (I don't know if that's the right word in english). So this initiative is really fun, I think. They (the majors) are trying all they can do to steer clear of illegal downloading, but they're predictably going into the wall. When you look at how live some artists and what they do of "artistic", you can really wonder why they earn so much money and, abovr all, how they do it. CD's price is too expensive, how can it be sold (sorry, I'm french) 20 € for "normal price" and then, less than 10 € ? If it's not to make the maximum profits, I can't imagine why.

So, that's really a good initiative that took Radiohead and surely that other bands will do the same. They're the first ti push the concept as far, letting the downloaders the choice to give money and the amount.

Viva la revolution ! (joke)

PS 1 : not really the first to do it, some punk band did it 2 or 3 years before, but it's also true that they're not as known as Radiohead...

PS 2 : If I bad used some english expressions, send me PM ;)
Click to expand...

Prices have little to do with Bands. Record companies and genres play a larger role on pricing. Sure very popular bands usually sell expensive records, but that is because the record companies know that fans will pay almost any price to get it. Most Metal cds I've bought have been $18. So it's not so bad.
 
I think it's a brilliant idea.  The label might get some, but the RIAA and other such organizations will get nothing.  It's wonderful...I wonder how long till Radiohead gets sued.
 
Onhell said:
Prices have little to do with Bands. Record companies and genres play a larger role on pricing.
Click to expand...

That's what I meant when I wrote that those who have the most to lose are the record companies. ;)

Onhell said:
Most Metal cds I've bought have been $18. So it's not so bad.
Click to expand...

I agree, buying $18 a cd is not much expensive, but think about the rate exchange : €20 * 1,4 = $28, approximatively. Do you think that's cheap ? I don't.

Anyway, I applause Radiohead for this idea ! Some people should wonder about the pertinence the role they play in music industry...
 
$18 is €12, that's indeed very cheap. In Germany, a new CD usually costs about €16 ($22.50), which is still cheap by European standards (in France, they are at about €20, and I've heard horror stories from Ireland and Sweden), but still too much for me to pay regularly.

Of course, this only applies to recent albums. Older albums usually cost between €6 and €12, depending on the artist (although bigger ones, like Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones or Pink Floyd, are usually at the €16 mark if there's not a special offer).
 
Perun said:
$18 is €12, that's indeed very cheap. In Germany, a new CD usually costs about €16 ($22.50), which is still cheap by European standards (in France, they are at about €20, and I've heard horror stories from Ireland and Sweden), but still too much for me to pay regularly.

Of course, this only applies to recent albums. Older albums usually cost between €6 and €12, depending on the artist (although bigger ones, like Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones or Pink Floyd, are usually at the €16 mark if there's not a special offer).
Click to expand...
It was pretty awful when I went there.  As far as "old" cd's are concerned,  whether the price is low or not actually depends on the store's "mood".  Seriously,  usually before summer starts albums like Powerslave and NOTB cost about 10 Euros.  Now they cost 20! 
 
SneakySneaky said:
It was pretty awful when I went there.  As far as "old" cd's are concerned,  whether the price is low or not actually depends on the store's "mood".  Seriously,  usually before summer starts albums like Powerslave and NOTB cost about 10 Euros.  Now they cost 20! 
Click to expand...

That's why I shop at www.cdon.com

But all stores are not that bad. Here were I live (there's only two real 'cd stores' here anyway...) you can get a good album for 80 kr (9 Euro). The other store though, is expensive as hell. You won't find a good album for less than 160, And most cost 200.
 
SneakySneaky said:
Yep,  the prices I saw were along those lines.
Click to expand...

I'd say you went to the wrong stores. I've seen shops in Stockholm where the prices are reasonable. And one store that's a little expensive, but they've only got Metal cd's and DVD's. Nothing else, and you'll find cd's that you'll only find online. Great store (in Stockholm)!
 
Personally, I applaud Radiohead for doing this. Even though they are IMMENSLY popular (at least here in the states), they continue to act like a totally independant band. Their integrity as a band baffles me.

SinisterMinisterX said:
They're a good band, but in my opinion they're not a band that's good for casual listening. To really appreciate their stuff, you have to sit and listen.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%. Really, try and just casually "listen" their album, Kid A. It's impossible. I've tried to do it while I'm doing stuff on the computer, and I just ended up completely ignoring it.

Oh yeah, In Rainbows is a pretty damn good album if you're into Radiohead's music. And yes, I PAID for my copy.
 
Forostar said:
How much? I heard many fans hardly paid s**t for their beloved band.
Click to expand...

I paid $20 ($7 more than a typical Radiohead album costs), because I really like what they are doing (...also, I figured that most people aren't paying ANYTHING for it). I don't really know what Thom Yorke and the guys really think about alot of people not paying anything for the album, but I would guess that they don't really care too much. Plus, it is to be expected that people are just downloading it for free with them doing this.
 
I too applaud Radiohead's courage to walk ahead of others and I would definitely rather pay €15-20 directly to my favorite bands than the same amount where a large percentage goes to record companies, licensing, marketing and what have you. In one way, illegal downloading could be considered a form of civil unrest, where the people show their unhappiness with record companies, even though I suppose many downloaders don't give a fuck about political/consumer issues. On another note, when you buy CDs digitally, why do they still have to cost as much as they do? If I go to Itune or similar shops I pay roughly €1 per song. That makes an average CD cost €10-15 but there's no packaging, no stock, no expensive plastic case, no sleeve and less marketing involved than when you release "regular" CDs. That's just greedy, in my book.
Yax said:
I'd say you went to the wrong stores. I've seen shops in Stockholm where the prices are reasonable. And one store that's a little expensive, but they've only got Metal cd's and DVD's. Nothing else, and you'll find cd's that you'll only find online. Great store (in Stockholm)!
Click to expand...
But if you, like me, live 500 kilometers from Stockholm the trip makes the records I buy really expensive :innocent: :bigsmile:

In Halmstad we have only one record store left (for 90 000 people) and they sell for example old Maiden albums (80s stuff) for €10 but a new is more like €20-25. Since Sweden is one of the countries in the world where broadband connections and personal computers are readily available in somewhere around 75% of the households and with prices being what they are, I'm not surprised that so many download illegaly here. The Pirate Bay is Swedish too, in case you didn't know it. I'm not exactly proud of that fact, but I think you can explain it as a function between (?) record prices and high-speed internet connections in the homes. Swedes in general are not more criminally inclined than people from other countries - in fact we are a somewhat cowardly people when it comes to law breaking. :smartarse:
 
Ver Nice topic  :)

and this, is a fucking brilliant post*  :wub:

LooseCannon said:
I think it's a brilliant idea.  The label might get some, but the RIAA and other such organizations will get nothing.  It's wonderful...I wonder how long till Radiohead gets sued.
Click to expand...


[*] as sharp as it gets, strongly constucted and with this meaningfull irony at the end
-and of course ....I couldn't say it better !!
 
LooseCannon said:
No fucking way.  My girlfriend went to school in Halmstad.
Click to expand...
What??? At the University..? Is she from Sweden or was she in an exchange program? If she's from here, do I know her? Do I know her in the biblical sense? :p  Seriously, it's fun to learn that the world is a very, very small place sometimes.
I've lived here for the past 40 years and I have a very strong suspicion I'll be here for the coming 40 years too. After that, we'll have to see :bigsmile:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top