By now, most everyone who cares has heard the news about Radiohead's new album and the unique way they're releasing it. The entire WDR crew was put on notice yesterday morning, as I emailed out the news to Joe and Zhuang as soon as I woke up at the crack of noon. And everyone whose reaction matters has already responded--I mean, even TIME Magazine has commented on the news, and we know how everyone in the music world listens to what TIME Magazine has to say! (No, they don't, but the fact that they're even reporting it (and so quickly) is newsworthy nonetheless).
To sum up, Radiohead is offering right now two options of purchasing their own album: 1) A super-deluxe edition with a vinyl copy, a CD with bonus disc, and various other paraphernalia for a whopping £40 (damn you, weak American Dollar!) and 2) A Name-Your-Own-Price download. Which can be free, if you so desire (though, the news is that apparently is a minimum one-dollar processing charge). This second option is really the freaky deal here--I mean, there will always be superfanboys with loads of disposable income they're willing to piss away (and Radiohead quite rightly realizes that their audience has a significant percentage of this kind of folk)--and has the music industry on pins and needles waiting to see if it's a success.
Of course, the most notable thing about this (besides the potential giving-away-music-for-free aspect)is the fact that Radiohead is doing all this without a record deal in place. Their deal with EMI expired after Hail to the Thief was released, and it was widely assumed that they would eventually sign with someone to distribute their next album, though probably in very favorable terms to the band. This would be similar to the situation that Pearl Jam went through--both bands have their steady and dependable diehard audience that was willing to follow them regardless of label politics, giving the band most of the leverage. The amount of records sold at this point would be pretty much a given, so it's just a matter for adjusting to that. But Radiohead decided that they can do this pretty much on their own, and they're certainly correct--fans everywhere now know where the source for the new Radiohead record is, and that's Radiohead.com (even if the site is slow as shit). Why split the revenue with a label when you can just claim it all for yourself?
As has been pointed out many times before, most bands these days don't earn their payday from the selling of albums, but through touring and merchandise and so on, where their cut of the profits is much higher--30% say, instead of 1/16th the price of a disc. So even if Radiohead loses money in "selling" this album, they'll easily overcome it through touring, which should be no problem, considering they routinely sell out amphitheaters (much like Pearl Jam). But they might not even lose money at all--I doubt the recording expenses were that high, they don't spend money on advertising (look at all the free publicity they got with this gambit), and from the looks of it, a lot of people are generally being honest and giving the band a fair shake for what they think the album is worth (besides Joe Reefer--he's got babies and babies' mommas to feed). And of course, pretty much anything over a dollar gives the band a better cut than the sale of one actual disc.
But then there's the problem of people like me, who prefer to have a physical copy of the album in their possession (even though I listen to music mainly through my computer). It may be because of vanity (I do love having shelves and shelves overflowing with CDs), or because I have an unnatural tactile obsession (probably something I should see a doctor about), but dammit I want my album. Well, for idiots like me who aren't into this whole new wave of technology (it frightens, and it confuses me), In Rainbows will have a physical release next year. So "Hooray, Bear!" to that.
Plus, if you're the impatient type, here's a handy link for you--Rolling Stone previews the new album, track-by-track. And please, no bitching about returning to guitars and pleading for a "insert-your-favorite-album"-era Radiohead album. If they want guitars, they'll use guitars. If they want laptops, they'll use laptops. And if they want to use the horn of a wildebeest, they'll probably do that too. Why have them repeat themselves, when you already have the original? Let the artists be artists. Of course, if it blows, I'll fucking call them out on it.
2 comments:
I would like to point out that while I have heard lots of talk about this mysterious "service charge", I did not have to pay one... in fact, when I put in my modest $0.00 bid for the disc I was not even asked for a credit card, and I received a receipt via e-mail confirming the purchase.
I would also like to note that upon several of the following contingencies, I will in fact be donating money for the album:
1. A lowering of the price of the package to a price I'm willing to pay
2. Finding of a used copy of said package for a reasonable price
3. Finding a used copy of the to-be-released major label copy.
Note that the last two are used purchases, as I plan on giving no money to a label when I can simply bu the album used eventually and then donate the difference between what I end up paying and the "new" price to the band.
Oh, and of course this all depends on if my babies and their mommas QUIT PISSING MY MONEY AWAY
But of course. I think that last part goes without saying.
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