How much have you paid for Radiohead’s new album?
This news kind of passed me by until someone told me about it last week, but I’ve started seeing more and more reports on it as time goes by. I’m referring to Radiohead’s seventh studio album, and I’m pretty damn excited at the prospect of getting a copy of it. It will be released on Wednesday and will only be available for download from InRainbows.com
In Rainbow will mark a new era for artist albums, because it shows a band effectively sticking its middle finger up to the music industry. Not only is the album available only by download, but when you order it, you choose how much you want to pay for it. It’s an amazing thing, and it creates a mini-moral dilemma for fans when they choose how much they will pay for the LP.
I’ve ordered my copy of Radiohead’s In Rainbows and I decided to pay three pounds for it. I didn’t base this number on anything; I just typed it in and placed my order. After I did it, I started wondering why I chose a pathetic three pounds. Why didn’t I just pay one pound, or why didn’t I make it a reasonable five? I left myself in limbo and wasn’t sure what sort of fan it made me. Perhaps that’s the response Radiohead want from their fans.
I’ve listened to Radiohead’s music since Pablo Honey, although The Bends was the first album I really liked. OK Computer was pretty much the soundtrack to my life for two or three years. I saw the band at Glastonbury once and it was the best live performance I’ve ever seen. It was unreal.
Hail to the Thief was Radiohead’s last album, and I still listen to it to this day. I think it’s brilliant, but really, I have no idea what In Rainbows is going to be like. It hasn’t been sent to the press, there are no previews, and it’s yet to be leaked online.
Can’t wait for Wednesday. How much did you pay for your copy of Radiohead’s new album?
October 7th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
I have read this somewhere before. As a big Radiohead fan, I will definitely get this album.
Anyway, I am a hermaphrodite!
October 8th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Check on Amazon. Previous album on conventional supports are sold on average between 4£ and 10£.
I think £3 is reasonnable considering you not get an LP or shiny case with a designed leaflet to look at while listening.
Common goods are usually sold 3.5x their basic cost (to cover the cost of the component ingredient to make them and accessory charges). Not sure it applies to “art” but you could consider that in this case you would pay only for the music.
~R
October 9th, 2007 at 8:10 am
The music industry as we know it is on the way to the graveyard, thank god. Nine Inch Nails has also ditched their record label and will most assuredly being looking for direct to people distribution methods. The recording companies no longer add any value whatsoever. I hope to see more and more artists cutting free of the dead weight.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:05 am
The Charlatans are doing something similar too. But if the big bands give away their music (because they can), how can smaller bands ever hope to make a living?
November 1st, 2007 at 7:59 am
Paid them £4.50!
Great tunes, especially “Nude”.