Radiohead - In Rainbows

bud_dwyer.jpg
-- Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, October 1, 2007 9:10 PM (50 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

this would've worked better had you spelled the man's name correctly.

You still managed to get the joke somehow.

Unrelated: First magazine/blog to use the headline Gravitas Rainbow gets clowned.

Is it just me, or isn't what they're doing kind of the most obvious way to go about it? Not the $80 box part, just the free part. I'm guessing there's more than a few artists slapping their foreheads over this one, but of course they're all still shackled to their labels.

Stars -- who are signed to the Arts & Crafts label -- did something similar to this by releasing their new disc (In Our Bedroom After The War) to digital services months before the actual physical disc was released. But, by contrast, I think Stars' strategy killed enthusiasm for their disc, which was formally released just about a week ago with little fanfare.

Unrelated: First magazine/blog to use the headline Gravitas Rainbow gets clowned.

-- Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, October 1, 2007 10:11 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

why wait when we can clown the first ILM poster who thought of it?

xxpost

If I recall correctly, Stars posted their album for sale digitally in response to the album leaking before the release date. It was not a premeditated release strategy like Radiohead is attempting.

I have no idea how to verify it, but I doubt releasing the digital copies of IOBATW hurt its sales. I know I bought it from their website immediately rather than search for a leak. It would surprise me if it sold any better or worse than previous Stars' albums.

The digital release of In Rainbows is less of a news item to me than the fact they're releasing it independent of any major label support.

i bought the stars album digitally to applaud their release of it and i will also pay for in rainbows digitally

This album better be about 1000000x better than that Stars record. (And I loved the previous.)

This album better be about 1000000x better than that Stars record.

How have you heard it? I thought there was be no leaks or pre-release listening parties until the 10.10.07 digital release.

Frothing Radiohead fans so excited they can't read properly.

Bless.

http://www.snorgtees.com/images/CantReadGood_Fullpic_1.gif

this is freaking awesome

LOL. Okay, yes, I'm a kid who can't read good. And a Radiohead fan.

My bad; I misread Simon's post.

Wow, whether it's a good record or not is entirely irrelevant, they've smashed the system!

w00t!!!!!!53!8008!

radioglaad

I guess this means no more groovy MTV music videos, then. :(

Who will be the next to venture into the discbox format? I would like a to have a whole shelf of discboxes.

lol MTV?

xpost

Did anyone here pay for the download (apart from me)?

Yes. I also got done for 45p surcharge.

i did. i paid 3.14 pounds. first number that came in my head.

£2 (45p)

£5.55 = £6.00, I forgot about the 45p. I was feeling generous. Now I'm feeling ripped off!

What is the point of paying for it, if they're giving it away for free? Do you think Radiohead needs the money? Do you think they're not going to make a hefty profit on the £40 version?

Like others have said, I don't see any reason to pay if I'm a.)going to buy the discbox eventually or b.)going to buy the regular release when it comes out or c.)they are offering it for free (which they are).

What is the point of paying for it, if they're giving it away for free? Do you think Radiohead needs the money? Do you think they're not going to make a hefty profit on the £40 version?

haha guilty conscience much? considering how little i've paid for their last few records (i.e. none), i was happy to chip in a little as a tribute to the clever marketing.

I'm not going to buy any other versions. I am in general willing to pay for hassle-free DRM-free good quality digital downloads. I don't want "the industry" seeing this as a failed experiment in goodwill.

I really don't get why people base their decision on whether or not Radiohead needs the money.

haha guilty conscience much?

Yeah, I'm guessing most people who've paid are doing so because of niggling guilt at the idea of getting something for nothing. But I see no reason for the guilt. The download is just the loss leader for the discbox. It's a perfectly reasonable commercial strategy. You might just as well chip in a bit extra to Tesco when they offer 2-for-1 deals, or pay Murdoch an extra 50p when he engages in price wars or whatever.

Or put it this way: if Radiohead thought it was unfair to pay nothing for the downloads, they wouldn't have offered them for free.

maybe they want to see how fair or otherwise people will be, given the chance

maybe they don't know how much to charge and are letting the market decide

You might just as well chip in a bit extra to Tesco when they offer 2-for-1 deals, or pay Murdoch an extra 50p when he engages in price wars or whatever.

No, this is completely different, but I haven't quite worked out how yet.

Also ledge otmx3

It's not that I feel guilty it's just that I think 30p a track is totally an ok amount to spend. If you want it for free, that's fine too, it's not like Radiohead are laughing behind our backs at us giving them £3.

Ok, except that one bloke...
http://img.search.com/thumb/d/dd/Radiohead_grass.jpg/315px-Radiohead_grass.jpg

I can predict that this album will most likely not be funky

It's not that I feel guilty it's just that I think 30p a track is totally an ok amount to spend. If you want it for free, that's fine too, it's not like Radiohead are laughing behind our backs at us giving them £3.

Hmmm, I think £20 is a reasonable price to pay for the discbox. I hope Radiohead will be OK with that...

I don't understand.

i would have paid a little bit but i don't own a credit card.

The money is a way of showing some appreciation of the band's work.
That being said, I'd rather download it for free and then pay for it afterwards if I liked it. I suppose they haven't a system in place for that. Having a "donate" button separate from the download-process would probably result in less money, as the way it is now it's easy for people to throw in a buck or two just as a gesture.
Oh well, free or not, I haven't enough interest in Radiohead to give this a listen.

I don't understand.

I just mean they've fixed an elevated price on the thing they actually intend to make their money on, they're not giving anyone the "choice" about that. Which of course is fine and totally their perogative to charge whatever they like for what they've produced. I think the "choosing" whether to pay or not for the download is a red herring in terms of their business model. The free download is part of the business model, a promotional tool for the discbox and, more generally, for the Radiohead "brand" which will generate money through merchandise, concert tickets etc.

I don't think Radiohead are all about money, but they're obviously trying to make what they do a commercial proposition and they're trying this new business model which has free downloads built into it as part of the model. For that reason I see no particular reason to pay for the download.

Anyway, God knows why I'm going on and on about this, let's just hope the album is good...

I wonder what percentage of people will pay c. a tenner for this, or whatever the standard CD price is these days. I'm tempted to pay a pound, purely to say I bought it but without going overboard.

In any case any money Radiohead DO lose if this goes tits-up is likely to be recouped by a fucking massive tour anyway, isn't it?

A poll on what you are paying is here Radiohead - In Rainbows : What Are You Paying?

but touring is traditionally the way bands make money anyway, isn't it? how is this different?

Presumably less need to feel obligated to pose next to record execs with gold/platinum awards that they paid for out of their advances.

how much is a pack of cigarettes in the UK in pounds? Or like going to McDonalds?

Happy Meal = £1.99

Just typing that made me feel slightly nauseous.

Ciggies are over a fiver a packet now I think.