Radiohead's In Rainbows
Reply #8 – 2007-10-24 09:27:18
SS, I didn't vote because the right selection for me isn't there. Whatever it is, Radiohead should be applauded and supported for making this move. The big question is, did Radiohead bypass RIAA? That is what I like to know because it has large implications for the music industry. It would mean that recorded work could be cheaper for the masses. It could also mean that the artist will finally receive what is fairly due to them rather than what RIAA say they should get. This is a landmark move in that Radiohead has brought to the internet like when artists of yore performed at public places and pass round their hat after the performance. Don't you just love that? Only this time, the audience is worldwide. It will be interesting to see how this develops. Even season artists like Paul McCartney thinks this could be the way to go. PS. Okay, I found out. This is going to be huge. As reported in the telegraph.co.uk, "Radiohead is free to sell its album directly from its official website because it is no longer tied to a record label. So far the album is only available to pre-order from the website, where it can be downloaded on release on October 10." And, "It is likely that many of its millions of die-hard fans will be unable to resist buying the box-set, available in December, while Radiohead will not be required to share its profits with either a record label or shops." Hurray! It seems that this has been done before, "Free albums also drive demand for live tours, which translate to pound signs for the artists behind them. A great example of this is Prince, who in July gave away his album 3121 for free in the UK through the Daily Mail. He subsequently announced 21 tour dates in London, all of which sold out." And here is a message for RIAA, "Radiohead has the financial welly and is sufficiently well-known to be confident enough that the move is a risk worth taking, but it might also become an answer for those lesser known bands that struggle to be signed by a record label, or are reluctant to share their profits."