Radiohead - In Rainbows

What could the rationale possibly be for paying for the download, though? Once they offer it for free, then any money you decide to give is just like giving to charity. Only I'm not too sure Thom Yorke needs my charity.

Which band/label is it that does a pay as much as you like thing for downloads, and publishes the average as a guide?

Can you get one though?

I can't.

Bought one. Rather excited.

ha ha "industry types" weighing in. These people--whose livelihood depends on the status quo--are the primary reason that the industry has tanked. They are the reason Radiohead is doing what they are doing. And if you've read Coolfer long enough, it's obvious that Glenn is dubious of technology and is empathetic to the old guard.

This is a great move by a great band.

I really hope we get to see the stats on how many discboxes were ordered within the first 24 hours of that announcement.

This is a great move by a great band.

Props to them for trying something different, but I'm not so sure that it is prefiguring the future of music delivery. It's a move that could only be made by a band that was already phenomenally successful, and its business model seems to be: "The music's free, but we'll soak the geek-fan who fetishises the object." Not sure that's really going to work for 99 percent of people who make music.

Is it soaking if it's a package full of art and goodies?

Is it soaking if it's a package full of art and goodies?

"soak" was maybe unnecessarily pejorative, no one's forced to buy anything. But the tactic is to go upmarket. Forget about trying to make money out of the average punter, and to make up for it, charge the uber-fans 4 times more. (You can be sure that the product itself is not going to cost 4 times more to produce).

It's clearly not going to change things for most bands, let alone a billion dollar industry.

The thing I love is that it reinforces the value of DIY, or at least as DIY as band of Radiohead's stature can be.

I really don't see why anyone would care if someone wants to pay $80 for what amounts to art, especially given what the box contains (I thought soaking the rich was good!). Seems like a good value to me, although I probably won't buy it. I certainly would rather the band get more of my money than some dude on eBay.

I think the main thing is that it prompts ideas. Obviously it's not going to change how things are done straightaway, but it's interesting and they're a band that's huge enough that when they do something like this, it gets the big labels to sit up and take notice.

A lot of artists these days are self-releasing records in a similar way but for the most part it's happening on the fringes. With Radiohead, at the very least, we'll get to see whether something like this can be viable or not in the long run, and yeah hopefully encourage more artists to take a bit more control in terms of how they want to make money from their music.

Is In Rainbows the new punk? A 24,000 word essay in multiple instalments. Coming soon to a magazine near you!

Put it this way.

Fan, or person who does not want to wait, pays £12 for a new CD.

The rest of us wait a year and get it for £5.

This way, Fan, or person with £40 disposable, buys this.

The rest of us get a cheapie.

I don't care if someone wants to pay $80 and I don't think Radiohead are doing anything "wrong" and I think it's an interesting experiment - but I don't think this model's really leading anywhere either. From a financial perspective, I'm guessing they'll make a fraction of what they made from OK Computer or Kid A. But yeah, props for trying something different.

From a financial perspective, I'm guessing they'll make a fraction of what they made from OK Computer or Kid A

Like EMI didn't make most of the money from those anyway, gimme a break!

I only think it's different in that it places a slight moral choice - should I or should I not pay something? Otherwise, it's just like any old album. Also even if you don't pay a cent, they still have your details and an excuse to spam your inbox.

xpost OTM

I bet the five members of Radiohead will see more money from actual album sales on this than most of their studio records.

yeah, surely all the profit is going directly to radiohead, minus whatever cut they've worked out with the waste products people? there's no record company to siphon away massive chunks of the money.

Also, farts.

(I don't wanna get banned frm noize brd)

Always interesting even though they haven't been close to their artistic potential since "OK Computer".
-- Geir Hongro, Monday, 1 October 2007 11:17 (3 hours ago) Link

WRONG

I wonder if they'll make the price people pay public?

www.inrainbows.com down at the moment? (expected this to happen a lot sooner)

Like EMI didn't make most of the money from those anyway, gimme a break!

Sure, evil record company made a bundle too. Don't know what percentage Radiohead was on, but I don't suppose they did too badly out of it. And now they don't have a record company to pay protection to. But in strict terms of business models, this latest strategy will generate only a fraction of what the previous (admittedly now unworkable) model generated. That's my guess anyway!

Zelda, I'm loving all these caveats of yours, because nothing about what you're saying suggests anything the band clearly haven't thought of already. Which is PRECISELY why they are trying this out.

www.inrainbows.com down at the moment? (expected this to happen a lot sooner)

-- StanM, Monday, 1 October 2007 14:58 (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

They removed the "Enter" link.

So, do this one:
http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/Quickindex2.html

Also even if you don't pay a cent, they still have your details and an excuse to spam your inbox.
-- Roz, Monday, October 1, 2007 2:55 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

exactly! you can bet there's a huge tour in the works, and that everyone who puts in their contact info for this download (whether they pay nothing, a little or a lot) is gonna get an announcement straight to their email in a few months.

NB: that's an really inexpensive way to market a really massive tour.

Another thing that occurred to me as well -- no complaints about people making mp3 rips of radio broadcasts of pre-released tracks, not to mention no worries about radio stations playing anything before they're supposed to. Jack White must be grousing as we type.

(Also, some writer colleagues in the UK checked with the band's PR folks, who confirmed -- no advances/listening parties/etc., everyone gets it all at once.)

thanks - but that's not working either/very very slow right now (xxpost)

but anyway, it doesn't matter, I ordered teh box this morning.

Just finished the process. Man, that was hard work!

Ned, did you check the google group?

... so by the time a review appears in the monthlies, the download album will be more than two months old but it's going to be just in time for the box set (December) or the actual CD (if they release that in January).

Ned, did you check the google group?

?

how many of you are going to be ordering this? i can't decide. the most i've paid for a single piece of music is pretty much around $25. i like radiohead a whole lot but 80 bucks is a lot of money.

also, for US people who have ordered stuff from the UK before -- how much of the $80 do you think goes towards shipping? somehow i can justify it more if the shipping cost is like $30 or something.....

grrrr NME

"listen to the album here!"
- click, page with ads and
"click here to go to the blog!"
- click, page with more ads and
"click here to see the whole message!"
- click, page with ads and the youtube live clips every blog has

YOUR PURCHASE MAY BE SUBJECT TO A TRANSACTION FEE.
THIS WILL BE SHOWN AT THE CHECKOUT.

oh yeah, pay 20 quid transaction fee as well now plz

no?

No, I haven't seen anyone's posts anywhere who had to pay that transaction fee.

If Radiohead had done this with Hail To The Thief, I would have been one of the $80 discbox purchasers. I really love the Kid A/Amnesiac period, and went through a major period of Radiohead obsession based on those two CDs. As it turns out, they're the only two Radiohead CDs I truly like. So I'll do the cheap download to start, and will pay standard price for whatever lower-price CD or LP version ultimately comes out.

Drudge Report linked to the site this morning. That probably crashed it.

Comparing sales of this to OK Computer and Kid A and profits, keep in mind that each MP3 sold costs $0.00 to manufacture.

and even so, that fee would only be 45p (xxxpost)

http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/Advice.html

What are your shipping rates?

There is no additional shipping charge for the Discbox.

Are there any additional costs?

A 45 pence bank charge may be incurred. This will be shown at the checkout.

No transaction fee for me...

Transaction fee is 45p

I don't know if that applies if you went for the 0.00 option.

No, if you go for the 0.00 option you only have to fill in your contact details apparently, not your visa number & so on.

Comparing sales of this to OK Computer and Kid A and profits, keep in mind that each MP3 sold costs $0.00 to manufacture.

And also costs $0.00 to buy! (setting up the website and the backoffice technology etc would have cost something though).

Everyone's acting like this box is limited edition and preorder only, but they didn't say that anywhere, or did they?

StanM is correct - no credit info required for the free purchase.

If Radiohead had done this with Hail To The Thief, I would have been one of the $80 discbox purchasers. I really love the Kid A/Amnesiac period, and went through a major period of Radiohead obsession based on those two CDs. As it turns out, they're the only two Radiohead CDs I truly like.

this pretty much describes why i'm hesistant to drop the $80 on the discbox. i like the other albums just fine, but Kid A/Amnesiac are pretty much the only ones I'm motivated to listen to anymore. i'm just a little worried about dropping $80 on an album isn't nearly as good as my favorite radiohead stuff.

They had to write and practise and record and mix and master everything before they had the free mp3s though, and AFAIK those things tend to cost money (even when you have your own studio) (xxxpost)

hmm maybe i'll do the free download and if it's effin' great, i'll do the discbox.

i'm more excited about this as a news story, and as a hugely interesting marketing model, than i am as an album :/

I ordered the box because I just have to have it. I'll worry about the music later :-)

Maybe they figure that anyone who is going to download it for free would get the songs for free anyway.