The Day the Music Industry Died

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"In Rainbows" - Radiohead

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

By JAKE COYLE,



On Monday, Radiohead sent shockwaves through the music biz with the announcement that its new album, "In Rainbows," will be released for download from http://www.radiohead.com on Oct. 10. The price? Whatever you choose. You elect how much to pay, be it one cent, $15 or $100. (A special edition box set with a vinyl version and other items is also available for approximately $81.)

After releasing all six of their previous albums with Capitol Records, Radiohead doesn't currently have a record contract. "In Rainbows" will be available as a DRM-free MP3 download.

Major labels aren't the only ones pondering a potentially bleak financial future where the public expects recorded music to be free. Bands, too, need to find a solution, and Radiohead just proved they're as willing to experiment with distribution as with sonic soundscapes.

Naturally, guitarist Johnny Greenwood announced the album in a Web posting: "Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in ten days," he wrote succinctly.

Radiohead's public relations firm shortly thereafter announced that there will be no advance copies or digital streams for press or anyone else before Oct. 10.

To a certain extent, this can be seen as a way of eliminating the possibility of the album leaking, which typically occurs via advance copies. Fans needn't download it illegally, since they can download it for a penny _ or technically more like two pennies, because the lowest option is one British pence.

Radiohead is now discussing contract possibilities with several labels, all of whom can be expected to wonder: "What does Radiohead need us for?" The band is planning a traditional CD release for early next year.

But labels are in the business of distribution, and Radiohead's online release shows the band can fend for themselves. The eyes of the music industry will be on "In Rainbows" to see if this is the watershed moment that will change the business.

Of course, not many bands could pull this off. Radiohead has built a giant, loyal fanbase through its years with Capitol, aided by the label's promotion and distribution. Few bands have the luxury of taking such an audacious risk or the cache to bank on their fans.

The choose-your-own-price method is doubly risky and seems almost like an experiment to pinpoint pricing demand. But should anyone pay more than what someone is willing to sell it for? Does one have to consult with an ethicist to listen to Radiohead now?

Clearly, Apple's iTunes model isn't satisfactory to Radiohead. The band, which has long believed in the artistic integrity of the album in full, is one of the few acts that still doesn't sell their songs on iTunes.

Prince has also experimented with giving away music. The R&B star has in recent years given away discs to concert attendees and earlier this year distributed his "Planet Earth" album as a free covermount for an English newspaper. The move angered U.K. retailers and led to Sony BMG withdrawing from Prince's global distribution deal.

But Radiohead is completely unfettered now, without a record label to submit to or retailers to placate. With the tool of the Internet, it's just them and their fans.

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VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Wes Anderson's "Hotel Chevalier"

Director Wes Anderson has released a short film, titled "Hotel Chevalier," available for free on iTunes. It's a kind of prologue to his new film, "The Darjeeling Limited." The short stars Jason Schwartzman (playing his role in "Darjeeling") and Natalie Portman, who plays Schwartzman's former lover. "Hotel Chevalier" will be included on the eventual DVD release of "Darjeeling," and may also later be added to its theatrical release.