New album from Radiohead for free
Radiohead, the internationally renowned band, has taken the unusual step of telling fans that they can pay as much or as little as they like for the band’s new album In Rainbows. In a break from industry tradition the UK band famous for hits including Creep, Paranoid Android and Karma Police, has told fans “it’s up to you” what they pay to digitally download the album. This isn’t the first time that an artist has opted to charge nothing for its album, but the move is significant because Radiohead remains one of the biggest bands in the world.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.
While loyal fans are likely to want to pay the band something, customers could opt to pay as little 45 British pennies – the credit card handling fee. The album is also available separately as part of a £40 box-set which includes the album on CD, two vinyl records, a CD with additional songs, photos, artwork and lyrics. It is Radiohead’s first album since Hail to the Thief, which was released in 2003 after which the band’s contract with EMI/Capitol expired. 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. That’s a good example worth following by other artists!
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Source: Telegraph
Comments(40)
Now this is a band that has its head on the right place
I’ll definitely chip out the 40quids for the pack
wow. i love radiohead and this is even better than what they did for Hail To The Thief. They themselves leaked the album and made it public but this is even better. we can download it legally for free.
This is Kick Ass
I’m still downloading it off a torrent site for free.
This is really great.
I am a major fan.
It is changes like this that will insure that Radiohead will be around for a while.
I only want to know what would be a good price for a CD once the Record label and shops have been cut out of the equation.
~Dan
go for it radiohead
genious idea
my mave band evr, and im a dance fan!!!
two words from a fellow artist to Radiohead: FUCK YEAH!
I’ve been under the belief that artists and consumers will both have more money if the role of the label were completely changed. God bless Radiohead for being brave enough to prove free information *is* a viable alternative to treating information like money.
radiohead? yawn.
I guess they figure even if they charge a typical price for it people are still gonna get it for free anyways. If you cant beat em join em.
Sorry this is NOT totally free!
Actually when you enter a very low amount (let’s say EUR 0,50) you will be charged a “credit card fee”, for processing.
Nothing is free in this world
or you could enter $0.00, and you still get a download ticket. No fees.
going w/o a label really only works with bands that are already established. how the hell are people supposed to find out about your band when there are hundreds if not thousands of little unknown outfits popping up every single week. But when i find new music on labels like touch&go, thrill jockey, saddle creek, etc.. at least i know what to expect..
Radiohead is the future
it’s not just the fact that they will be releasing the album themselves that is great. but also that you gan pay whatever you like. I mean. where I live albums cost 22 to 25 euro’s. a few years ago, I bought the same albums for 13 dollars in the US. and you’re not telling me that shipping costs 10 dollars per CD. people are just fed up with these kinds of things. so I think it’s a great move to publish music this way. because lots of peeps I know, are willing to spend money on music, but the music I like, is either not directly avalable (order and wait 3 months) or is freggin expensive. there are albums with only 35 minutes of playtime being sold for 22 euro’s. I’m a musician myself. and I think 15 or maybe even 10 euro’s per CD is a better price. and indeed, cut out the publishers. publishing can be done on the internet these days. and the only thing they do is fill their pockets.
thanks Martin and yes I will pay/donate to the band. I know that alot of people may be out of work if this does well but I have always wanted the artist to get the chunk of the money as oppose to all those middle men. Times changed and the industry didn’t.
amperage
If anything, this will give them more money. There’s no label, the advertising is built in with the hype over this “shock” distribution, and Radiohead is so popular and will be given such a show of support by fans and people who hate the recording industry alike that the dollars will just come pouring in.
Lets hope this will be the first of many bands who say “fuck off” to their label when their contract is up and go the way of the truly independent artist.
Fuck the recording industry. More money to the artist, and more music to the people.
Radiohead is crap, not even worth this 45 pennies ‘credit card fee’. Smart move though to bring out the 40 quid box-set. Lot’s of nutjobs will buy this glorified CD for this insane amount of money because “it’s so cool they give away their album for free”. Remember this suckers: YOU JUST PAID 40 QUID FOR AN ALBUM!!!
I always thought Yorke was a dumb a-hole. Seems he’s also a marketing genius.
No, its not free. But Radiohead is STILL charging you zero. The credit card company and Radiohead are two different entities, bear that in mind. Props to Radiohead imo.
Oh how knee jerk can you guys get. When there are no more middle men – will it really bring a true meritocracy? Radiohead may have been indie at some point but who would have heard of them if they hadn’t had a massive label promoting their name and product. From billboards to concerts the band have built their fanbase with the efforts of their label… so now they go they’re own way and can sell to a mass of fans who would never have heard of them without the label. Ok Computer… three cheers for independence but, let’s think about what happens when the promoters distributors, A&R etc. are gone. What if there’s a band even better than Radiohead, cooler, got more groove, without the filter of the label maybe they’ll build fan base from playing in pubs big enough to keep the wolf from the table but without an EMI or whatever behind them how are they going to go global, who will get them air time, who will shout their name? They pretty much have as good a chance as anybody to live through the facebooks of personal promotion and so wheat and chaff just compete in a random chance stumbling world and the good will struggle to be heard in the maelstrom of mp3s. Labels are greedy s***heads but if it’s taken RH 4 years to cook up one album (no label deadlines see) and this PR exercise then… perhaps we should have a good think before we plunge in the dagger. Oh what the hell, stab the f***s, where there’s money in culture, there will always be agents of one sort or another to exploit the fairy headed artistes of our time.
Well he’s Thom Yorke,
WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?
@Cal, the industry failed to progress and like the DODO it will pass.
amperage
So radiohead sucks so bad now that they have to give away there albums? They’re nothing but a two hit wonder band that has ridden the success of two songs for over a decade. They’re hacks, you may as well go listen to country, you’ll get just as little out of it.
I wouldn’t have even bothered downloading this illegally “for free”
Ya it’s free till they get the bandwidth bill OH SNAP!
Well as i see it, it may not be everybody´s “cup of tea” ((or taste) don´t know the right expression)) but at least they are making a difference, in my opinion that is why you people as CONSUMERS! should give them some credit for, Radiohead is a really conscience band and they don’t want you to get ripped off by some major Label company, they give you the option to buy their album with some extras or just download it for a few pennies (to cover the bandwidth i reckon) and yes they did used to work with the major label companies in the beginning but like the label industries they used the industries that uses artist to get filty rich (i hope you follow)
anyway I LOVE THEM FOR DOING SUCH STUNTS, this are people that make a difference!!!
Go RADIOHEAD!
Good move. Shows that bands don’t really need the blood sucking record labels.
mmmmmm Not really #25
Radiohead signed with EMI back in 1991 to a six record deal. It took them 12 years to fulfill their contract. Selling your own records sounds like a good idea but when you are just breaking into the biz you need the muscle that a label can provide you, its not possible to do it all by yourself (equipment, mastering, studio, publicity, etc).
The dark truth about the music industry is that 98% of all musicians that sign a deal will make little or no money, be dropped by their labels, and you will never hear from them again. It is rare for a musician to actually fulfill their contract and have people still know who they are, much less want to buy their music.
Also all of the music that they have made so far that you love so much is not owned by them, is owned by EMI their old label. They are 15 years in the biz and only just now does anything they create actually belong to them and them only.
If the record labels don’t tell me what music to listen to, how will I know what to listen to?
@26
But Radiohead did read the contract before they signed with EMI, right? EMI didn’t kidnap them off the street and force them to sign a twelve year contract, did they?
i have nothing but respect for Radiohead- they are anti-corporate and actually give a shit about the environment etc.
i caught them in concert during the “thief” tour and they totally kicked ass.
hopefully they tour in the States again. ^^
quote
John
I guess they figure even if they charge a typical price for it people are still gonna get it for free anyways. If you cant beat em join em.
/quote
Exactly this is the phenomenon of p2p people who are gonna buy ur stuff will buy it even if they can download it in sec and those who are not will never buy simply bcoz either u dont deserve it or they cant afford it simple as that (Think teenagers living on pocket money)
i hope this trend cathes on i really love the song creep and hope something like that pop up on this album—-
Cheers Radiohead FTW
f*cking excellent band….
music to chew prozac to. Dont believe da hype.
Just another marketing stunt …what’s so impressive and adorable about it? It proves only that Radiohead has did its homework and learned a bit about marketing. Nothing more.
Sam, or anybody else: where is the album available as a torrent please?
kiss my ass you mothafocurs….&&&&&&&…..kudos Radiohead…………
Radiohead will earn more through live gigs and merchandise………
for some reason i think im gonna feel guilty downloading the album since they’re so nice to offer it for free….
36 learn to spell u fucking mug (mothafocurs) what a prick
It’s completely free. You don’t need to pay the credit card fee if you pay nothing. It would amount to paying only the credit card company for the music. That would be kinda silly…
Since I don’t have a credit card, I got the download for free. It’ll probably still be easier to get it illegaly, but this is more exciting
Hope they use bittorrent to distribute.